The Devil Incarnate
by Lingren
Summary: Not all 'First Contacts' go as smoothly as they first appeared. Here's another old story of mine that I've updated for 1st time posting onto this site. Jack & Sam as always.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, my friends, here's another **old **story of mine which I'm updating to post onto this site. Hope you all like it!_

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

Category: Angst, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance.

Pairings: Sam/Jack.

Season: 5.

Summary: Not all 'first contacts' go smoothly.

Disclaimer: Don't own Stargate SG-1. No copyright infringements intended. Just borrowing the Characters for a bit of fantasy and imagination.

THE DEVIL INCARNATE.

Chapter 1 – The Devil at Play

Down in the bowels of the military's Cheyenne Mountain complex, the noise level had risen in the confines of the small locker room. Most of the boisterous behaviour came from just one of the four members of the SGC's premier team, SG-1; now currently occupying the space. Believe it or not, that person was actually the leader of this little band of diversified characters, one USAF Colonel, Jack O'Neill.

He'd stripped off his regulation black T-shirt and threw it, supposedly, over at his friend Daniel. Dr. Jackson, as he was more formally known, was the team's linguist and archaeologist, but a good friend, too. The younger man ducked and the garment went sailing over his head far too high. However, it landed exactly where Jack had planned it to fall -- on top of the security camera. The result being that it completely blotted out the 'spy in the corner' and earned him a quick round of applause. Even Teal'c gave a slight dip of his head in acknowledgement of Jack's success.

"Yeeess," Jack hissed triumphantly, punching the air with his fist.

He then took a bow, before pulling on his clean T-shirt and green camouflage Jacket in readiness for his next mission. Once dressed, he then walked purposefully towards a laughing Sam Carter with a wicked gleam in his eye, and a waggle of his eyebrows.

Daniel watched him, his own smile growing as he realised what was about to happen between his two best friends. Laughter bubbled up in his throat and chuckled when Jack caught Sam round the waist to pull her into a hug. Such fraternisation was frowned upon in the military, but he wasn't about to tell anyone what was going on between Sam and Jack. This was a secret which stayed locked away, sworn to be kept as such among the four friends.

"You know Jack...I bet you were a real little devil when you were a kid," Daniel stated in earnest, folding his arms across his chest to study his friend, "Still are," he added with a laugh. "All that's missing are the horns, the red outfit, the long tail, along with the em..."

Jack cut him off quickly before he could finish.

"I don't know what you mean Daniel, but I think my Mother would be hurt to hear you say that!" Jack replied, his eyebrows rising in all innocence. Though this seemingly naive comment brought a few giggles from the woman in his arms.

"One of these days, General Hammond is going to cotton on to your antics and post a guard in here while we change," Daniel sing-songed, pulling on his own jacket now.

"No he won't! Not if I can help it, Danny-boy. Now, go... get out of here, we'll see you guys in the gate room in five minutes," Jack growled mockingly.

Teal'c and Daniel happily took themselves off to the gate room to await the others as ordered. Daniel could only hope that General Hammond wouldn't ask too many questions as to what was keeping him waiting. He really didn't want to tell him the real reason as to what was causing the delay.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack, now that they had the room to themselves, drew Sam closer and into a tight hug before kissing her gently. Sam responded by throwing her arms round his neck and bringing his head even closer, pressing their lips together more firmly. When they both came up for air, Jack rested his forehead against hers while they both calmed their breathing hearts once more. For them it was just a quick, stolen moment in their forbidden relationship. Both of them knew that all too brief contact, would have to last them until they got back from their mission in four days time.

Fraternisation was strictly forbidden under Air Force regulations, but that hadn't stopped them from falling head over heels in love with each other. It had taken the couple, a few years to finally admit to each other that there was something between them. It took even longer for them to actually do something about it. The resulting relationship, had been prompted by their team-mates, who insisted they, 'stop tap-dancing round the issue and just get on with it'. So, they had.

Jack straightened Sam's jacket and zipped up her Kevlar vest, before dropping his hands to fasten his own. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and silently slid her palm down across his smooth, clean shaven face. Her blue, suddenly serious, eyes locking onto the deeply hooded, dark hazel ones of his for a brief moment before she was gone from the room.

The door closed softly behind her and Jack let out a deep sigh of helplessness and frustration. Staring at the now inanimate door, he wondered what the coming mission had in store for them all this time. Neither he nor Sam had spoken a word to each other, it just wasn't necessary. They both knew it could possibly be the last time they could indulge themselves in any dreams of normality. With their job, it was a distinct possibility that either of them could die out there today, tomorrow...or whenever. It was an unspoken fear they had for each other. Knowing that, perhaps speaking of it, would bring about its reality; so the words had always remained unuttered.

Jack picked up his bulging backpack and pulled the T-shirt from the security camera with a grin. Tossing it into the laundry bin across the room, he whooped in delight with another Yeesss! when it shot straight in. Making sure they had left nothing behind, he then made his way out of the door to join his team in the gate-room.

Jack knew the minute they stepped from the locker room, it would be as if their earlier intimate moments had never existed. Back there for just a few minutes it had been just Jack and Sam, but now it was their professionalism which came to the fore. Automatically switching back to being Colonel O'Neill and his 2IC, Major Samantha Carter. During working hours, there was no Jack and Sam, and personal feelings didn't enter into the grand scheme of things. Their emotions, however strong, would not intrude upon their consciousness until they were back on Earth and off duty again. It was a rule of their own making, and was only fair to the other members of the team that they should be treated as equals. The brief interlude in the locker room being the only time they had allowed themselves to break the rules while on base; simply because it could well be the only goodbye that would be acknowledged between them.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sauntered calmly along the corridors towards the gate room; a slightly off-key whistle playing on his lips. Once he had reached the room which served as the starting point of their many adventures, he noticed that everyone was waiting on him. Sam was busy checking the equipment on the M.A.L.P. and Daniel was rummaging through his backpack for the umpteenth time, looking for goodness knew what. While Teal'c, on the other hand, stood by, patiently waiting, like a sentinel guarding his team-mates as they prepared for their mission. Jack looked down at his watch, noting that, despite being the last one to arrive, he was actually on time. He turned his eyes to the wide window overlooking the room and signalled to the General of his readiness. Their mission was about to begin.

General Hammond duly acknowledged Jack's nod, and ordered the dialling process to begin. He stood patiently behind the technician, Sergeant Davis, watching as his best team prepared to leave this world and bravely walk upon the surface of an, as yet, unknown planet. The usual bantering going on between the close knit team below was actually comforting in its own way. It gave him the feeling that maybe just this once the mission would go according to plan.

The itinerary of the mission itself, was a simple 'meet 'n' greet', and get to know the natives, in the hope that they were of a friendly nature. The team were also to glean as much Intel as possible from the race of indigenous people who were perhaps a lot less advanced than they were. As was often the case though, there were some societies who were more advanced in many other ways than was at first thought. This, they had discovered, was to their cost many times over in their pursuit of friendship. It was often speculated, by the other teams, as to which member of SG-1 would return with an injury of some description.

The gate locked itself into position on the seventh chevron allowing the bright plume of matter to burst forth into the gateroom, bathing the area in an eerie blue rippling glow. It never failed to bring an awed silence to any of the waiting teams as they watched the gate activate. The M.A.L.P slowly make its way up the ramp finally disappearing into the artificial wormhole. Tense minutes passed by as each team member looked at the other. Their eyes exchanging unspoken messages of reassurance and togetherness, in the hushed silence; just moments before the final go-ahead came from the General.

"SG-1!" Hammond barked through the microphone at the four, making them look up at him expectantly; waiting for his orders. "You have a go. See you in four days, people. Report back to me every 24 hours Colonel. God speed!"

"Yes Sir. Will do! Keep the lights on General; we'll be back before you know it!" Jack waved a ragged version of a salute to the senior officer then led his team up the ramp until, one by one, they disappeared into the event horizon; stepping out onto a new world beyond the stars.

OoOoOoOoO

PZ41 792 appeared to be everything that the M.A.L.P. had shown it to be for once. The temperature was a cool 12 degrees C but a weak sun still shone down on them from out of a clear blue sky. A breeze blew around them gently, rustling the shrivelled leaves that littered the ground around their feet. The air current causing an occasional dead leaf to swirl down from the almost bare trees nearby. Jack relaxed his grip slightly on his P90 and lowered it, supporting it at waist level, now that they appeared to be safe for the time being. The rest of the team followed his example, though each of them remained in readiness for the unexpected encounter that might prove potentially dangerous.

"Okaaay...Carter, which way to Oz?" Jack asked with a wide smile. He was the Colonel now, and as such he was in command, and he was waiting none too patiently for her to reply.

Sam studied the compass, and then finally deciding on the correct heading, she answered.

"It's to the North Sir. That way; through the gap between the trees. It's about 35 clicks away, Sir."

"Oiy! Just for once, couldn't we gate to some place that has it's civilisation nearer to the damn Stargate?" Jack whined, not at all liking the idea of all that walking ahead of him.

"We...um...actually tried that before, Jack. We barely made it back to the SGC in one piece," Daniel pointedly reminded him. "PX2C 843...remember? The gate was right in the middle of the village square and we were faced with hundreds of hostile natives. If I remember rightly, I think it was you that almost didn't make it back..."

"Okay, okay, just don't remind me. So, on that occasion it was a little too close for comfort, but just now and then, a few hundred metres would suffice. Hell, even a mile or two, but sheesh, it always seems to be between 20 and 40 clicks." He rubbed a hand over his face which he tilted upwards towards the sky. "Give a guy a break now and then huh?" he pleaded mockingly, and rolled his eyes, giving exaggerated shrugs with his shoulders. He thrust his hands out, just as Topol did in The Fiddler on the Roof. Jack mimicked him, half singing one of the songs from the movie, "Would it spoil some vast eternal plan?..."

"Are you well O'Neill?" asked Teal'c with a deadpan expression on his face.

Jack frowned across at his team-mate, feeling a little exasperated.

"Actually, I'm fine thank you, Teal'c," he replied rather deflated. It was no fun when you had to keep explaining everything.

Sam sniggered and Daniel smirked, whilst Teal'c on the other hand, went off into a long diatribe as to why the gates were often a long way from the nearest habitation.

"It's okay, Teal'c...thanks. It was just a little..."

"Over-rated?" Sam suggested.

"Hammy?" offered Daniel.

Jack cast them both a wounded look, then studiously ignored their comments and carried on with his conversation with Teal'c.

"...Sarcasm on my part, thank you. Don't take it too much to heart big guy." Jack patted Teal'c on the shoulder as reassurance, and then turned serious again. "Right then, kids! Carter, you're on point, Teal'c, you watch our sixes. Daniel, that leaves you with me. C'mon folks, let's get this show on the road."

He waited for Sam to move off before following her, walking alongside Daniel. He didn't need to check to see if Teal'c was bringing up the rear. He knew the Jaffa would take his duty seriously and keep them safe should there be any attack from behind.

TBC

8


	2. Meet 'n' Greet

_Thank you to all of you who read this and/or sent a review. I'm glad to know that you are enjoying it so far!_

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

He waited for Sam to move off before following her, and walking alongside Daniel. He didn't need to check to see if Teal'c was bringing up the rear. He knew the Jaffa would take his duty seriously and keep them safe should there be any attack from behind.

Chapter 2 – Meet 'n' Greet

The landscape around them deepened from being flat and desolate to gently rolling hills with valleys with lush forests of tall dark pines. A small clearing near a narrow stream afforded them the ideal place to sit and rest for a while. The walk had been boring to say the least, and Sam smiled rather tolerantly at Jack's exasperated comments about the over abundance of trees. No matter which planet they'd visited it was something he'd nearly always grumbled about -- much to her amusement.

The rest break was more than welcome but sitting around was leaving each of them feeling slightly chilled. More noticeably was when the sweat they'd generated from walking had cooled on their skin and dampened their under clothes. So it was sooner rather than later that Jack urged them to pack up and move on. His excuse being that the sky was growing darker and he for one didn't want to arrive at the settlement under the cover of darkness. That in itself being a potentially dangerous position to get into. Going into unknown location on a dark night, which hid any number of strangers, sent a warning signal prickling at the back of his neck. No sir...he wanted to arrive wherever it was in broad daylight so he could fully assess the situation.

After another few miles he finally called for a halt. It was much darker now, night had fallen quicker than they had anticipated. As it was they would have to set up camp with only moonlight to labour in. Jack led them away from the beaten track into a small clearing some metres away and set them all to work, erecting the tents. The spot was well chosen advantageously, it was far enough from the path and well hidden from any prying eyes. It was also a strategically sound area, being higher than the surrounding district. They could look all around them in an almost perfect 360 degree circle, and be able to spot anything or anyone that approached the camp.

However, the night passed without incident and the next day they packed everything up and continued on their way.

Emerging from the cover of trees at long last, they found great sweeping hills divided into fields of corn or wheat, or whatever was the equivalent was that these people grew. There were also green swathes of countryside where what looked like sheep were grazing in the higher paddocks. Occasionally the alien version of a dog would bark its warning of approaching strangers.

Several of the more braver human inhabitants came out to see what the rumpus was all about, and watched in deep fascination as the strangers progressed down the dirt track of a road. As they passed along the trail they encountered yet more and more houses as well as people. The spartan setting of the mud houses near the outskirts had diminished now and the number of dwellings had grown rapidly the further into the settlement they went.

The four teammates had continued along the road unhindered until they found themselves walking down a much wider street, between yet more crowded houses. There was no sign of anything that could prove that this society was technically advanced unless it was hidden from view -- which was a distinct possibility they were all familiar with. A heavy wooden cart pulled by an ox trundled past the end of the road as if to demonstrate their unpretentiousness. Then as the team neared the corner they were greeted by many other such conveyances, all lazily going about their business along the street.

As far as townships went, it was only a fairly small one but the people seemed friendly enough – nobody had accosted them or shown any fear towards their presence. The place reminded both Daniel and Jack of the Middle Eastern countries, the whitewashed walls of adobe was reminiscent of a scene from somewhere similar to the older parts of Jerusalem. For Daniel it appeared to be a place which warmed his heart with childhood reminiscences, but for Jack it held far more sinister memories of black-ops missions he'd rather forget.

For what had to be the thousandth time Jack looked behind him watching the growing crowd to their rear. He smiled somewhat benignly at them, though his mind was alert to any possible danger. However he did feel fairly safe in the fact that no-one had appeared to be armed with any kind of weapon or had yet attempted to disarm them. His main concern was whether they were hiding anything behind their long flowing robes. Something of which only time would tell.

The swell of the crowd around them meant that they were being herded in a certain direction, though nobody had uttered as much as a word to the four so far. They had seemingly drifted along with the general population down the dusty road, hopefully towards somewhere, where the appropriate authoritative figures would be waiting for them.

As if by magic only minutes later, suddenly there they were. They had turned the next corner to face a welcoming committee who awaited them on the steps of a large colonnaded building set before a small market square. The cries and jostles from the sea of traders and shoppers had faded to a deathly hush as SG-1 approached the waiting group. All eyes were firmly fixed onto the four olive clad figures. Figures which stood out starkly against the muted beige, cream and white robes of the surrounding throng. Coming to a halt at the foot of the steps, Jack turned on his noted charm and smiled serenely to the serious looking officials before calling on Daniel beside him.

"Daniel...you're on. Time to make nice with these folks!" Jack swept an arm prompting Daniel to move forward and perform that which he did best.

Daniel took a couple of steps and bowed slightly to the group anxiously eyeing all of the team up and down, everyone of them unsure as to what the presence of these strangers could possibly mean.

"Um... Hi. I'm Daniel Jackson. This is Major Sam Carter..." he waved his arm in Sam's direction and did the same with the other two as he introduced them. "Colonel Jack O'Neill and Teal'c. We're from a planet called Earth and we come in peace, wishing to get to know you and discuss trade..." he broke off at the excited babble coming from several members of the welcoming committee. He turned to Jack, noticing the officer's grip on his weapon had tightened and he'd moved his finger closer to the safety switch on the P-90 hanging from its strap round his neck.

"I...er...I guess they don't speak English," Daniel said with a sigh as he turned back towards Jack with a shrug.

"That's what your here for Daniel. This is supposed to be your thing...you know...languages?" Jack prompted somewhat impatiently. "Doctor. Jackson…PhD in ancient cultures? Ring any bells for you?"

"Yeaaah...right." Daniel threw an irritated glare towards his leader knowing full well what Jack was getting at but still -- the snarky comment rankled within him. Patiently gathering his thoughts once again he swallowed the imaginary lump of frustration in his throat then tried again. He was listening to the men speaking among themselves, trying hard to gain an insight or find a common link to reach an understanding of their tongue. He'd tried several different languages, including Latin and Greek, before he realised that it was in fact a derivation of Classic Hebrew. A corrupted one none the less.

"Umm..." he began in a tentative voice hoping he had the pronunciation about right, and then began dredging up the ancient words from his over-stuffed memory. It had been several years since he'd heard this version of this language. "Shalom! We come in peace!" Daniel said, then translated the words into English for the sake of the other members of his team. "I'm Daniel."

"Daniel!" the obvious designated leader spoke the familiar name. "Shalom Daniel!"

"Yes... Thank you. I'm Daniel," he repeated laying his hand on his chest to emphasize the meaning. He pointed to Jack, "Jack." He followed the same motion with the others and all the while kept the smile plastered on his lips.

The man nodded to each in turn smiling broadly, then uttered his own name in the tense silence.

"Ebrahim." He placed his hand over his heart and nodded, uttering a string of words which Daniel frowned over, but translated as best he could.

"He says his name is Ebrahim and he is the...er...leader of these people."

"Ebrahim?" Jack repeated, getting to grips with the name, "Do ya think he's any kinda relation to Abraham? It sounds similar. Looks old, too!"

Daniel sighed inwardly, sent Jack a scowl.

"I'm jus' sayin'!" Jack replied, shrugging in response. "So...is he? Are they?"

"Well, going by their clothes, mannerisms and the chief's name, I guess they are; sort of. I suppose on a level with the biblical characters that we've read about then, yeah probably. They are, or at least, they appear to be of Jewish descent." Daniel nodded, still smiling at Ebrahim.

Ebrahim smiled, dipping his head and then pointed to his followers on the steps beside him, saying their names slowly for Daniel's benefit.

"Jacob, Isaac, Ishmael, Reuben, Simeon, Joseph, Noah."

Daniel was about to repeat the names to the others, but Jack held up a hand to forestall him.

"Ack! I got that bit, Daniel."

Ebrahim then asked Daniel a question which had the linguist quickly stuttering a denial. Jack picked up on Daniel's obvious rebuttal and asked him what was going on and if it spelt trouble.

"No…no...it's okay, Jack, it's fine. I think he just wanted to know if we were…gods."

"Oh fer cryin' out loud!" Jack muttered in an aside. He turned to face the leader. "We are **not** gods! No way!" he stated loudly, shaking his head, waving his hands to emphasise his point. "We're just ordinary folks like yourselves."

Daniel duly translated the message, but felt it was unnecessary when the old man had smiled and acknowledged Jack's vehement statement just by the tone of his voice. Ebrahim asked another question and Daniel answered quickly.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

"He...just wanted to know if you were our...um...leader."

"Oh! Right... Why?"

"It's simply a sign of courtesy, Jack. A 'warrior' leader..." Daniel brought his hand up to his mouth in a subtle cough, "...such as yourself, would be offered special treatment out of respect for his rank."

Jack cast a cold, derogatory glare at Daniel, but smiled over at Ebrahim who returned one of his own. He casually passed a comment of 'about time I got some recognition from someone', and which Daniel sighed heavily over before he muttered a corresponding aside back to Jack.

"You're always lamenting about a lack of respect, Jack, just make the most of it while you can," he mocked sotto-voce. "Besides, they respect their elders, and have recognised you as one, too."

Jack glanced up quickly to pierce Daniel with a long suffering look, then cast an even more disapproving one at a snickering Sam who hastily stifled her amusement. Daniel ignored the looks shooting back and forth by turning back quickly to his host. Delving once again into his mind for a translation with which to explain the true purpose of visiting their particular world.

After much deliberation and yet more stilted conversation the team were finally led inside the building and invited to partake of a meal. The first ritual they had to undertake, had been the offering of a bowl of water to refresh themselves with. Daniel was showing the others what to do before they -- and in particular, Jack -- could offend their hosts, hoping that their customs ran along similar lines to the Earth based Jewish ones.

The feast went off surprisingly well and by the time it had drawn to a close everyone was well stuffed and on the best of terms. Daniel was having a great time firing lots of questions at Ebrahim and also the others whom he now knew to be the elders of the little township. The team were made very welcome and were treated with great respect by the people by being waited on, hand and foot.

Here they settled into a smooth relationship where they could feel quite at ease. A state which had all of the team both relieved and more far more relaxed than usual. Not being chased by a rabid population back to the Stargate was definitely a welcome change.

They were shown into generous accommodation which would be theirs for the duration of their stay. So it was that over the next 48 hours they interacted closely with the people with unaccustomed ease, as well as learning the ways in which they lived. Every evening the team would gather together in the council chambers to join the elders for the main meal and Daniel would talk about their own discoveries.

Ebrahim was well pleased with his new friends and looked forward to the arrival of new medicines in exchange for allowing other teams to roam in search of some unused mineral which Sam had greatly enthused over. Apparently it lay beneath the soil some distance away and would need several specialists to unearth the rare commodity.

For once, Jack was actually happy. There was no apparent threat here from among these people. He could almost believe he was back on Abydos but for the language. There were no indications that the Goa'uld had ever been here either, or that they were likely to in the future. The Goa'uld responsible for bringing them to this planet had obviously abandoned them long ago, for which he was glad. At least, he sincerely hoped nothing would change, and things for them would remain as they were; and that thought suited him just fine.

These people were friendly, informative and willing to share what they had, and he would hate to see any harm come to them. He got on quite well with Ebrahim despite the language barrier, and even managed to pick up a few words here and there, which greatly pleased their hosts. Life was good here, and he would be more than happy to report as much to the General when they returned home.

TBC

_Please note, I am not of the Jewish religion so please excuse any faults you find. It had not been my intention to cause any offence to anyone of this persuasion or nation. Finding references on the web was hard to come by, hence my lack of details for which I am sorry. I had hoped to include more but time and RL wait for no man. So I had to get this posted or you'd still be waiting next month! LOL! _


	3. Judgement Day

_Thanks for your reviews once again, glad to know you're enjoying this._

_**Warning: **__this chapter does contain some form of violence near the end, so be aware of this before you read it. The next chapter will have this warning, too!_

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

These people were friendly, informative and willing to share what they had, and he would hate to see any harm come to them. He got on quite well with Ebrahim despite the language barrier, and even managed to pick up a few words here and there, which greatly pleased their hosts. Life was good here, and he would be more than happy to report as much to the General when they returned home.

Chapter 3 – Judgement Day

After a day or so getting to know the people a little better, it was suggested the Teal'c and Sam head into the hills to take readings of the Naquadah buried in the ground, while Daniel happily buried his head among the scrolls detailing the local history. Jack knew his friend would be there for some time to come so he spent his time showing the youngsters how to play the games of his youth. All the children were enthusiastic and once they'd gained the basics of the game, Jack was hard put to keep up with them. He was really enjoying this mission and even more so when General Hammond granted them another two days before they handed over the more serious negotiations to the diplomatic team.

As it turned out later, a quiet walk beside the river was far more revealing about their gracious hosts than Jack or the others could ever have imagined.

The small group of elders from the council along with Jack were ambling sedately along the banks of the fast flowing river. This life-giving flow of water was the mainstay of the town's supply. It was both crystal clear and freezing cold; its origins being from the fresh melting snow high up in the mountains. It was also deep and wide and Jack noted, that it had various swirls and eddies as it flowing rapidly from the peaked range towards the east, all of which proved that it wasn't a safe place in which to take a swim.

There were several huge rocks jutting out into the river and Joseph pointed past them, telling Jack what was happening. Even though he never understood a word, Jack could easily understand the meaning. Here where the water was a lot calmer Jack could see a fair number of the women kneeling at the water's edge, all pounding their laundry onto the smaller and smoother rocks in the time honoured method of washing their clothes.

There wasn't a great deal of conversation going on between him and the elders, mostly because of the language differences, but they had almost reached an understanding, using their hands to make signs as such, with many gestures. That's when they heard a woman's loud screams rend the air followed by an ominous splash. Jack looked up in horror as a young woman was to be seen floundering in the chilly waters, fighting for her life as she constantly appeared and disappeared below the churning waves.

What had amazed him more than anything he had seen previously, was the complete lack of action from these people along the banks. Nobody, including the elders, seemed to be making any attempt to help save her from a terrible death. Each and every one of them stared helplessly at her while she drowned. Without thinking about his actions Jack slipped off his boots and shucked his weapon, utility vest and jacket and then dived headlong into the swirling maelstrom to rescue her.

The deep penetrating chill of the water took his breath away, but with long easy strokes he soon reached the spot where the distressed woman had just disappeared beneath the churning foam once again. Taking a deep breath, Jack dived below the water and frantically tried to locate the woman. Because the water was so clear he was able to spot her as she floating back up towards him now lifeless and limp. For a few seconds her body bobbed on the surface before sinking into the depths again. He made a grab for her wrapping his arm around the frozen body under her arms and then kicked out for the shore. Hoping against hope Jack prayed that the chill waters didn't sap his strength before he could reach the safety of the river bank and that it wasn't, too late for this poor woman.

With his head now free of the roaring river, he relentlessly pulled her towards the little shore, struggling harder against the icy cold flow. He was tiring rapidly because the freezing cold water was quickly draining his reserves making him shiver violently. On reaching the shore he forced his frozen limbs despite the tremors that now shook his body, to drag her inert body away from the water's edge whilst trying to draw great gulping breaths into his own lungs. He leaned over the inert form but heard nothing at all from the woman, where there should have been gasps for air. Feeling for a pulse, he wasn't surprised when he found no reassuring throb beneath his fingers.

Without further ado he automatically began CPR and started rescue breathing for her forgetting his own needs. He ignored the deep chill seeping into his bones from his wet clothes while counting off the vital emergency action. He fervently wished his team were with him, especially Sam whom he knew had more knowledge of this than he did. He spared a second or two to glance around realising that they had drifted a fair way down stream so he knew it would be some time before any help reached him. Silently he continued to resuscitate the woman unwilling to let her die.

The curious crowd of onlookers from the town had followed their progress along the river banks, and were now gathering silently around him all watching Jack in fascinated horror. He ignored them and he carried on performing his selfless actions since pulling her unresponsive body from the water to the first sign that she was actually recovering.

The young woman coughed and retched for some minutes. Her recovery eliciting a great gasp of disbelief from the watching crowd as they backed away from the soaking wet pair. Jack sat back on his heels still trying to regain his own breath but watching her closely. He was more than thankful and relieved that he was able to revive her in time.

However, the crowd grew more restless which he hadn't noticed until the woman recovered sufficiently to stare up at their faces her own horror dawning upon her now. Jack reached out a hand and gently touched her arm meaning to bring reassurance to her but instead she pushed his hand away and began to sob. Jack was dumbfounded, unable to grasp what was wrong. He just couldn't imagine what he'd done to upset her so much. This was when he noticed the crowd were staring at him with something akin to abject horror on their faces.

Still shivering violently from the cold so much it was making his teeth ache Jack climbed wearily and unsteadily to his feet, looking round at the crowd and wondering what the heck was wrong. Then like the parting of the Red Sea the now silent horde stepped quickly aside and suddenly there was Ebrahim and his elders all standing before him. Jack could only shiver while he waited for at least someone to say thanks and explain to him why everyone was staring wildly at him. A nice warm dry blanket would have helped him, too. But, the chief stood silently wearing a vaguely sad and pained expression across his face. He looked down at the woman who was still sobbing as she sat shivering on the sandy shore then looked back towards Jack. His eyes taking in what was before him then back and forth again between the two.

Jack was wondering why no attempt had been made to offered her or himself something to wrap around themselves for the warmth they both needed. At this rate they would both end up suffering from hypothermia and possibly worse. Ebrahim uttered something that Jack couldn't understand and then a young man stepped from the gathering and knelt down before him bowing his head deeply to honour his leader. Speaking the quick staccato words whilst gesturing between Jack and the frightened, sobbing woman Jack could only wonder what was being said about him. The speech was far, too fast for Jack to translate. _Great_, he thought, _Where's Daniel when I need him?_

Chief Ebrahim and his elders listened intently to the young man as he explained what had exactly happened. He threw several questions to the young man before finally turning back to look sadly over at Jack. Over the last few days the Chief had come to like the self-confident leader of these strangers and now this incident had shown him in his true colours. Without taking his eyes off Jack the Chief lifted his official staff and spoke a single word which Jack pretty much realised what its meaning was as soon as several of the town's guards had swarmed forward and grabbed him. His arms were pulled tightly behind his back before tying them there. Jack was, too surprised and, too cold to react quick enough to escape their grip his actions slowed by the sluggishness of freezing cold limbs, and all the while wondering what the hell was going on.

"What the...?" he gasped, peering as far behind him as was possible to see the steely determined faces of his captors but he was held firm. "Just what the heck is going on here Chief? What have I done for cryin' out loud?" The easy camaraderie that had grown between them had suddenly vanished without a trace, replaced instead by hostile looks and mistrust from everyone. Even the children who'd looked up to him turned away now and were shielded from his gaze by their anxious parents. Jack swore. Daniel really needed to be here like NOW. Jack yelled at the top of his voice hoping that Daniel would come to his assistance, though he had no idea how far he was from the library where Daniel was working. "DANIEL...DANIEL! Get your damn butt over here right NOW."

Before Jack could think of anything more he was hurriedly pushed forward, back towards the town's square. The guards were forcing him to walk faster and faster which caused him to stumble frequently along the way. With his arms firmly tied behind him and his movements hampered by the deep tremors he couldn't stop himself from dropping onto his bad knees. The guards merely yanked him to his feet again and again, ignoring his discomfort and putting untold strain onto his arms. Still freezing from the cold water, wet through and grimacing in pain Jack could only wonder why Daniel was taking him so long to reach him. He wanted desperately to discover exactly what he'd done to offend these people. Everything up until now had gone so well. He wondered what had happened to the woman he'd rescued because he couldn't see her anywhere and whenever he'd turned round to look for her he'd been pushed and had stumbled onto his knees once again.

As soon as Daniel heard of the procession, he ran into the town square just as Jack was being tied to a tall sturdy post in the middle of the market place right in front of the council building. His hands were now bound in front of him but round the stout wooden pole. Once he was secure his soaking wet T-shirt was unceremoniously ripped from his back exposing his flesh ready for the appropriate punishment. Sam had already spoken to Daniel a while back to say that she and Teal'c were on their way back and he met up with them in the square just as Jack was being tethered to the post. They stopped and stared in disbelief before Daniel's brain caught up with him and he sprinted towards the Chief. Sam hurried towards Jack but was prevented from doing so by the guards who met her half way. Instead she and Teal'c hurried after Daniel to find out what was going on.

"Uh...What's going on? Why are they tying Jack up?" he asked in a faltering translation of the native language. He turned back to face a bewildered Jack. "Jack...what the hell did you do?"

"Do? I didn't DO anything. Just get me outta here fer cryin' out loud. This has got to be one huge honkin' mistake, whatever it is."

The Chief at last answered Daniel's question, his voice sounding as laboured as if he was carrying the weight of the whole world.

"Your Jak broke the sacred law governing my people. Therefore it is written that he must be punished accordingly."

"Law? What law?" Daniel spluttered before turning back to face Jack. "He says you broke a sacred law, Jack. Just what happened?"

"Nothin' I tell ya. All I did was rescue a woman who fell into the damn river. I didn't break any law. I was tryin' t' help!" he stated irritably. Suddenly he began to shiver even more violently but this time not just from the cold. He had a bad feeling that this was sooo not good news and it was certainly no fruit basket they were offering him. "Daniel," he warned, "Hurry it up will ya."

"Okay...okay." Daniel sought the right words going through his rusty and limited mastery of the language. "Chief Ebrahim, please would you tell us which law Jack broke? He says he thought he was only trying to help that woman," he asked carefully, hoping that he, too, wasn't going to offend the Chief by probing for further answers.

"It is written, that no man should interfere with the will of God. When the woman fell into the river it was done so by the all powerful almighty God's command. By all that is right she should have died as many have done but your leader interfered with that law."

"What? But, why should he be punished for trying to help someone live?"

"Daniel, you are young and have many things still to learn. Our God is our judge and these are his laws by which we govern his people. Your Jak brought the woman back from the dead and for that reason he must be punished. Only God is the rightful creator and giver of life, so it is written in the sacred scrolls of our forfathers. The only other being which has this power is the Devil himself. Your leader, Jak, has already vehemently denied that he is God therefore he must be the Devil Incarnate. It is our divine duty to punish his sin and banish his spirit back to hell from whence he came before he spreads his evil ways amongst us."

Daniel closed his eyes wishing that he was back in the library at home and having a bad dream, because this was a real nightmare. How could these people do this? He sighed with sadness as he translated it all to Sam and Teal'c who were just as shocked as he was, and Jack could only look at him in disbelief and silently urge him to do something to stop them killing him. For once in his life, he had found someone to love and who loved him, and he really, really didn't want it to end like this, and certainly not in front of Sam. Or Daniel either because he knew the young man would look upon it as a failure if he did die. Of course there was no telling what Teal'c would do to these people if that happened.

The Chief closed his ears already ignoring Daniel's persistent protestations and denial. He raised his staff and a tall muscular man of Teal'c stature stepped forward. In his hand he bore a long leather whip and began to raise it drawing it back and quickly releasing it to lash against Jack's exposed back with unbelievable force and a deafening crack. Jack gasped in pain as the leather thong bit deep into the flesh of his back. He refused to cry out in agony instead he yelled at Daniel urging him through gritted teeth to hurry up and get him out of this situation.

"Dani…Argh!" he began, but the loud crack of the whip wrenched Daniel's name from his lips turning it into a desolate pain-filled yelp.

With tears in her eyes Sam bit her lip so hard in sympathy, that she could taste blood. She tried to run towards him, but was captured by some of the guards and held back. She struggled valiantly but to no avail, she was held fast where she stood and made to watch as Jack was whipped. She turned away from the sight hoping that either Daniel or Teal'c could stop this, but Teal'c was being held fast with a knife at his throat, and Daniel was still trying to get through to Ebrahim to ask for mercy.

TBC


	4. Falling on Deaf Ears

_Sorry for the delay in getting this off to you – I've been off-line for a few days which was extremely frustrating, I can tell you. For some reason our service provider decided that our router wasn't working so we couldn't connect to the internet – only for them to discover - three days later that the problem was their end, and not ours! Grrr!_

_Thank you all so kindly for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you did the other parts._

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

With tears in her eyes Sam bit her lip so hard in sympathy, that she could taste blood. She tried to run towards him, but was captured by some of the guards and held back. She struggled valiantly but to no avail, she was held fast where she stood and made to watch as Jack was whipped. She turned away from the sight hoping that either Daniel or Teal'c could stop this, but Teal'c was being held fast with a knife at his throat, and Daniel was still trying to get through to Ebrahim to ask for mercy.

Chapter 4 – Falling on Deaf Ears

"W…wait...wait...wait, please!" Daniel pleaded with the Chief. "Jack is not the **Devil**. He just wanted save the woman's life...don't you understand that? He stopped her from dying...right? She lives?" He turned towards Jack looking for confirmation but the colonel had a death like grip on the post and his face was scrunched up against the pain. Daniel could tell that the agony must have been excruciating for Jack as he rode out each lash which tore at the flesh on his back. The linguist could only watch in horror, as the man continued to whip his victim. Both Sam and Teal'c had lost the fight to stop the brute of a man from his given task, feeling utterly impotent under the restraining grip of the guards.

Jack couldn't stop every scream that fought its way up from his throat but was making a concerted effort to remain quiet by biting his lip which made that bleed, too. Daniel turned away from the horrendous sight as he once more tried to reason with the Chief.

"Please, STOP. You're making a terrible mistake, Ebrahim. On our world, we save lives all the time. We always try to make sure every 'accident' victim lives. It's what we believe is the right thing to do. It's what our God would want us to do! Please...stop...you'll kill him."

The Chief stared back at Daniel, his expression almost unreadable but Daniel thought he saw a lingering sadness there.

"If that is God's will then so be it," Ebrahim uttered with finality.

Before he knew what was happening Daniel found himself held firmly by two of the muscular guards as well. So now all three of them were forced to watch from their knees as Jack grew weaker. Daniel failed to comprehend what the natives had in mind for them after what he believed was an extreme punishment had finished. And despite his desperate pleading on Jack's behalf the lashings were continuing.

"What's going on?" Daniel racked his brains trying to find the right words. "Wait a minute? What are you going to do to the three of us?"

"You are to return to your world, where you will now live better lives without the Devil as your leader."

"No...No...No...Jack's a good friend. God..." Daniel began hesitantly, slightly out of his depth here. Searching his knowledge frantically, he came up with a small quote, and hoped he could sway their punishment by using it. He couldn't recall where it came from but that wasn't important right now, and he was desperate in his appeal for reason. "Our God created man on our world..." he never mentioned that they were in all probability descendants of Earth's humans too. "...to learn and understand our limitations. He gave us the knowledge to put things right so that we may save lives. Jack was only doing what he believed was right. We have a saying from our scriptures that cites, 'God helps those that help themselves'. We do this by helping others as it was written.

Ebrahim looked for any deceitfulness in Daniel's eyes but found none. Therefore, he thought his words through very carefully but his own prejudiced beliefs fought against the idea that anyone should be able to revive the dead other than the rightful god.

Sam spoke softly, feeling every lash that she witnessed and wishing there was more she could do to stop it. She could feel the hot tears as they ran down her cheek but her mind was mainly focussed on how Jack was faring.

"Daniel...is that...true...that quote you've just cited?"

"Quite honestly, Sam I'm not sure, but I don't think he's at all familiar with our Bible, do you? I just hope it gives him something to think about and maybe it will be enough to stop the punishment."

Sam nodded mutely, agreeing with his sentiments.

Daniel turned his attention back to Jack. He could see his friend had fallen to his knees and looked as if he was barely conscious though he was aware that Jack hadn't passed out completely yet because his head jerked whenever the whip cracked against him. He couldn't see much of Jack's back from his viewpoint but knew by now it would be criss-crossed with deep, bloody lines. Daniel felt every fiery, pain-filled lash for himself and whispered his own prayer that Jack would be able to hold on until they could at least hand him over to Janet. He had every confidence in the petite medic's ability to heal his friend.

Unseen by his colleagues, Jack's back was awash with rivers of sticky red blood. It welled up slowly and steadily from the many deep cuts across the shredded skin on his back. Jack gave a final pitiful moan and then fell limp, slumping awkwardly against the rough post and sitting back on his heels. This caused his friends to gasp in their own private agony at his predicament and feeling so totally helpless to go to his aid. The whipping stopped, too.

Despite the many guards around him holding him down Teal'c had managed to struggle free and he ran to Jack's side angrily pushing everyone out of his way. Once there he felt for a pulse and was satisfied but not at all happy when he found a thready and faint throbbing beneath his fingers.

"He lives!" he called across to the others before turning back towards Jack. "O'Neill."

"Teal'..." was all Jack could articulate when he roused slightly through the thick haze of pain. It was, however, satisfying to Teal'c that the one barely uttered sound meant his warrior brother was still alive and relatively cognisant. "Over?" Jack asked, mustering up just enough strength to hope his punishment was done with.

"I do not believe it is...though I wish it were so, O'Neill, but I fear this is just the beginning." On hearing this, Jack let out a long groan of frustration liberally mingled with pain. Teal'c was then dragged away before he could be of more help to his Tau'ri friend.

Daniel and Sam closed their eyes briefly, thanking God for sustaining Jack and keeping him alive. The brutal whipping had finally stopped at long last, and Daniel was hoping they would now be able to take Jack and return to Earth to get him the medical help he so badly needed. He was soon disappointed however, when the Chief's next words cut deep into his consciousness almost as if he'd been slashed with a knife.

"You are to be returned to the great circle at once. The Devil's punishment will continue at nightfall if he yet lives."

Daniel protested loudly, but the result only made the guards tighten their grip on him and proceed to drag him back towards the gate. Sam though, had thought of a clearer plan of events and cried out, making everyone stop at her yell.

"No...Wait. Daniel, please, stop struggling; tell them we will go peacefully."

"Sam? What? What are you saying? What about Jack?"

"It's okay, Daniel. Just tell him what I said, and then ask him to return our things to us before we go through the gate."

Daniel looked at her, a startled expression on his face. He couldn't believe that Sam would even dare to think about leaving Jack behind, especially considering his current condition. If Jack needed them at all, it was here and now. How bad would Jack feel if they all trooped back to the SGC leaving him behind? Sam knew as well as anyone back in the SGC that it was Jack's unwritten law that no-one got left behind. They just couldn't go and leave him. On a more personal note, he knew darn well he couldn't to do that to Jack; so how could Sam? She, who secretly professed to love him so dearly.

Although Sam appeared otherwise, she was not immune to Daniel's argument via his surprised, yet unspoken, anger. As the next in command after Jack, she had no choice but to take control of the situation despite how much she was hurting inside.

"Do it, Daniel!" However, Daniel continued to gape at her as if she'd lost her mind. "That's an order," she snarled in the hope of getting him to obey. He glowered at her all the more but after a carefully worded prompt from Teal'c he turned to the Chief and translated her wishes to him. As soon as he'd complied, he sent her a thunderous expression fuelled by disappointment and simmering fury at her apparent betrayal.

The Chief lifted up his hands and the three remaining members of SG-1 found themselves released from the grip of their captors, though they were prevented from rushing over to Jack. Daniel wanted to know exactly what Jack thought of Sam's unbelievable plan. Ebrahim then turned back to Daniel after consulting with his elders, and informed him that their things would be returned to them -- but not until they were about to enter the portal. Daniel gave Sam a bitter glare as he duly relayed the message back to her, and she nodded her agreement.

He just couldn't understand what the hell she was thinking of – leaving Jack here. She was shaking the very foundations on which their trust was forged. And how could she remain so calm and calculating at a time like this? She seemed totally impervious to the pain Jack was suffering. It looked like they would be taking the easy way out and leaving their friend behind, either to slowly bleed to death from the mass of weeping welts across his back, or to whatever these people were going to do to him after they'd gone home. It was an impossible and unthinkable situation they now faced.

Counting to ten, Sam turned to face her team-mates, her own face impassive even though she was fighting to hide the anger coiled tightly inside her gut. Anger at what the natives had already done to Jack and whatever else they had in mind -- neither of which was good in anyone's books -- and anger, too, at Daniel's attitude towards her because he really believed she would actually want to leave the man she loved behind. _No way!_ This was her strategy being played out here and she silently pleaded with Daniel to simply trust her. She then requested Daniel to ask the Chief if she could say a final goodbye to the Colonel.

If anything Daniel's anger was decidedly obvious to her. It as a living growing organism which threatened to overwhelm them all should he give in to it, but Sam had a job to do and by god she was going to do it properly. Even if he never spoke to her for the rest of life.

TBC


	5. Promises

_Hi folks, here's another chapter for you – hope you enjoy this one, too! Thanks as always for your wonderful comments._

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

If anything Daniel's anger was decidedly obvious to her. It as a living growing organism which threatened to overwhelm them all should he give in to it, but Sam had a job to do and by god she was going to do it properly. Even if he never spoke to her for the rest of life.

Chapter 5 – Promises

After a long deliberation, Ebrahim finally nodded and gave her permission to move towards Jack.

As she neared her CO, she could see that he was more aware than he had been before and was watching as she approached him. Jack was shivering so hard it was difficult to tell if he was cold or if it was the shock setting in. Either way, she could see that he was struggling so hard to keep the agony at bay. His dark eyes, hooded and creased in pain remained on her the whole time she was moving towards him. When she knelt down in the blood-spattered dirt around him, their eyes locked on to each other and reaching out to him she stroked his rough whiskered face while their eyes spoke more than volumes ever could. He could see fresh tears forming in her eyes, welling upwards from her very soul as she whispered his name softly as she caressed his face. Now was that moment in time to forget his rank and his title, for what she said through her eyes and affectionate touch would have to last until they met once more.

He watched her closely, feeling helpless as the tears overflowed and began to trickle free, sliding down her soft skin unchecked and ignored. It was enough for him to know how much he was loved and possibly how much he would be missed by this woman.

Only seconds had passed in reality, although it felt like a lifetime to them both, Sam forcefully dragged her mind out of the heart-break and reminded herself that she had a rescue to mount if he was to survive. And by god, she wanted that more than anything in the world right now.

"Jack. I know you're hurting. God...I'm sorry...I wish I could have stopped this..."

"Carter... 'sokay, 's not…your fault," he interrupted, his voice weak and tremulous from exhaustion and pain as well as the cold. He was so damn tired, so cold, and right now it just hurt too much to move, too. If anything, he really wanted to pass out -- to lose himself in oblivion – but best option of all would be for him to go home. He leaned into her hand as it cupped his face and hissed in pain, caused by even that slight movement but nonetheless, savouring her touch. His arms ached to be able to hold her and brush away her tears of distress. He didn't need her word to know that she was hurting, too.

"They're going to escort us back to the Stargate. I'm sorry but we have no choice Jack, and although it may look like we're leaving you, I promise you now with all my heart that we'll be back again as soon as possible."

He saw the open honesty behind her words and gave a slight nod of understanding. She held his chin, making eye contact, then took a long, long look before losing herself in the very depths of his dark eyes to his soul, and made him a promise. "I will **not** leave you behind to die, Colonel! **No way!** We **will** come back for you! You hear me, Sir?"

"I know you will, Carter... Get back to the SGC...and bring some back-up... If you go through the gate...they'll believe you complied...with their commands...They probably won't expect you...to come back later. Don't want any...blood...shed on my behalf…this...this isn't their fault. No-one gets hurt...while saving my ass! That's an order, Major!" he replied wincing, his voice growing weaker and more breathless as he spoke. Finally, his eyes closed from exhaustion. He'd been clinging to the very edge of his resolve and he couldn't keep back the soft groan of pain that escaped from his bloodied lips. Lips so swollen and split that he himself had made bleed through clamping his teeth deep into them in order to stop himself from crying out in agony with each lash of that whip.

Sam forced herself to nod, showing that no matter how hard it was, she understood his orders. She fell silent, able to voice anything for a moment, but did continue to caress his cheek as he grew weaker and weaker.

"Yes, Sir!" she uttered. Her voice was tense and raw, but he could hear the acquiescence in it. "We'll be back before you know it, sir!"

"I'm…counting…on it…Carter," he replied through gritted teeth. Opening his eyes again he looked up at her and Sam saw them focus with difficulty. They were glittering with hardness, showing her his steely determination to hold on until she returned. He trusted her completely, actually willing her to be strong and return quickly for him.

"You do that, Sir! I want you to hold onto that thought!"

Sam watched as his heavy eyes closed again, only this time they remained shut, Then his body relaxed, giving in to the inevitable pull of blissful oblivion he'd managed to hold at bay until now. Sam ached in her very soul for him, hoping with all her heart that he would survive all of this and whatever else they might put him through.

As soon as Jack lost consciousness, Sam was unceremoniously dragged to her feet. Her hand was roughly pulled from its gentle hold on Jack's face by one of the burly guards, and she was hustled over to rejoin the others. She could hardly bear to tear her eyes away from the sight of Jack slumped unconscious around the base of the pole, where he'd been tied and whipped like a common criminal. Sam tried to ignore the deep welts of raw flesh that had covered his back. Tried hard to forget the bright blood that had pooled at the waistband of his soaking wet BDU's merging as it did with the moisture there to turn them a dirty brown. Wanted to wipe away the image of his blood as it soaked into the soil beneath his now lax body. It was harder still to see him lay there, hurt and perhaps dying when she wanted nothing more than to take him back to Janet. To heal his physical wounds if not his soul. That would take time, she knew, but with her help, she was sure he'd be okay; given time.

As they were pulled all the way out of the square, the three team-members kept their eyes locked on Jack's still form -- feeling more than reluctant to leave him -- but more than ever determined to return and rescue him. They were gently hustled all the way back to the Stargate where the guards stood over Daniel as he dialled their home address. They watched in awe as the gate spewed forth its huge plume of matter before settling into an established wormhole. Sam entered the iris code and waited for the all clear.

"We're good to go, guys," Sam called dully, trying desperately to overcome the sinking feeling of deserting Jack. "Let's get this over with! The sooner we do this, the sooner we can come back again and rescue the Colonel from this nightmare."

Daniel still wasn't sure why they weren't back there trying to help Jack right now. Sam's attitude had puzzled him, but maybe, he thought, she and Jack had spent that time planning something after all. Therefore, he reluctantly followed Teal'c into the event horizon, seeing Sam step up beside him before the freezing cold of gate travel whipped all thoughts from his mind.

OoOoOoOoO

When the Stargate burst to life in the Gate-room, all the red lights along the hallways flashed and the strident alarm from the klaxons filled nearly every corner of the SGC. General Hammond made his way down the stairs to the control room just in time to hear the sergeant utter...

"Receiving SG-1's IDC Sir."

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered, wondering what they were doing back so soon. He'd given them permission to stay longer only yesterday. "Better get a medical team down here, too!" he added. It was best to be on the safe side as regards SG-1. It wasn't the first time that trouble had followed on the heels of his best team.

Sergeant Davis complied quickly, placing his hand over the palm scanner to make the trinium shield slide back and reveal the shimmering wormhole. Hammond took the steps down to the gate-room in time to meet the team and just as he reached his usual place at the foot of the ramp, the steady flux distorted and three figures emerged. He waited for the fourth member of the team to appear, but instead, the gate shut down behind Sam and he gaped at her completely puzzled by Jack's no show.

"Major? Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

"We had to leave him behind, Sir, but we need to go back a.s.a.p., General. We need to rescue him."

"What? Briefing room, now!" he barked, worried beyond reason. He was confused. What could possibly have happened in between the last report from his 2IC and now? According to Jack's last check in, they were all getting along just fine, despite the difference in language.

The three anxious comrades made their way up to the briefing room behind their commander and took their places around the highly polished table. General Hammond sat down at the end as was his rightful place.

"Now...what the hell went wrong out there Major?" Hammond demanded. He wasn't so much angry with her or anyone of the team in front of him; in fact he was quite concerned.

Daniel spoke up first, rather than Sam and she willingly allowed him to fill the General in.

"According to Ebrahim, the chief elder of the community, Jack...em...he actually broke their most basic laws..."

"He what?"

"Well...apparently he rescued a young woman from drowning. She'd fallen into the river, and then when she showed no sign of life after he'd brought her ashore, he simply resuscitated her. Which, according to Ebrahim who pointed this out to us, was strictly taboo on their world. The holy scrolls that contain the laws, states that only their god has the power to give or take life, so to revive a person from the dead by anyone who doesn't profess to be a 'god' must therefore, be the Devil himself. Jack had already told them that none of us were gods when we first met them, so, Jack was accused of being the 'Devil Incarnate' and was to be subjected to punishment before being sent back into hell from whence he came."

"We tried to stop them, Sir, but we were held back and they wouldn't listen to any reasoning that Daniel put forward. General -- we had to watch as...the Colonel was whipped. They wouldn't stop until he was unconsciousness. That was bad enough in itself, but they said there was more punishment to come. They absolutely refused to let us stay any longer or to watch whatever was to come. We were practically pushed back through the gate. Sir, we can't leave him there! I gave my word as an officer that we would return. I promised him we'd go back for him, General. He's relying on us to rescue him from the next punishment. Now, according to Daniel that's supposed to take place at dusk, so we don't have a lot of time, sir. We have to go soon before it's too late."

"And I can understand that, Major, but what's the threat assessment there?"

"From what we saw -- not much, Sir. Though there were several guards around, they had fairly primitive weapons. We saw nothing that hints towards any technology of any kind, General. We should be able to go in and take them out if necessary but I don't want to do that, Sir, and neither does the Colonel. To begin with they are not a hostile people, and apart from this incident we were treated with the utmost respect..."

"I believe, General Hammond, that Ebrahim was genuinely distressed at this turn of events," added Teal'c. "I am certain that he was actually disappointed to think that O'Neill was labelled as the Devil Incarnate. Up to that point he and O'Neill had interacted exceedingly well considering the lack of an interpreter. I agree with Major Carter -- we would not wish to harm these people General Hammond. I suggest the use of Zat'nik'a'tels rather than the conventional Tau'ri weapons for the rescue."

"They don't deserve to die, General, just because of their beliefs," Daniel added earnestly.

"Do you have any inkling as to what they intend to do to the Colonel next?" Hammond asked softly, not sure if he really wanted to know the details.

"Well, while Sam was talking to Jack, Ebrahim did sort of explain to me what they intended to do to him..." His voice trailed off and he took a gulp of water from the glass in front of him; his hand trembling with fear for his friend.

Sam looked up in shock.

"Daniel? You never said anything...?"

"I didn't have much of a chance, did I, Sam?" he snapped, allowing his frustration to show through.

"Dr. Jackson?" Hammond intervened, puzzled as to why the archaeologist was so highly strung.

"Sorry!" he muttered, genuinely upset at his reaction, he'd never meant to react so strongly, but he was still feeling slightly aggrieved over Sam's odd behaviour on the planet. Now they were here of course, he could see that she genuinely wanted to get back there to save Jack from a fate worse than death. He knew now that Sam was doing the best she could, but she might have told him what she had in mind and not let him get all fired up over what turned out to be nothing more than what he'd wished for in the first place.

"Would you care to explain to us exactly what Ebrahim said, Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel nodded, then sucked in a deep breath and centred his attention on the middle of the table; he really didn't want to see how they took the news that he would have to impart.

TBC


	6. A Matter of Life or Death

_I only hope this works this time round! I'm still having problems with my internet connections so please bear with me while I slowly go__**nuts**__**** I'm lucky if I get more than a few minutes on the net. It's not my end, I can assure you – other users of a certain ISP company are having to deal with the same problems, too._

_I'd still like to say thank you for all your wonderful reviews, and right now I sure could do with something to cheer me up!_

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

Daniel nodded, then sucked in a deep breath and centred his attention on the middle of the table; he really didn't want to see how they took the news that he would have to impart.

Chapter 6 – A Matter of Life or Death

"As the sun begins to set, Jack will be taken up the nearest mountain and - once there - he will be literally thrown from the top of the cliff into the river far below."

He paused when there were soft gasps of disbelief coming from not only Sam but from the General, too. He understood their concern because he didn't want to even consider the implications either. Daniel closed his eyes hoping to dispel the fear of losing his friend in this manner. No matter what Jack had done in the past he didn't deserve this. He may have been a pain in the mikta, but he was the best friend he'd ever had and he'd never met a more loyal, trustworthy man in his life.

"Dr. Jackson?"

General Hammond's quiet, yet concerned, voice called him back to the present, urging him to continue; because that was just the first part of what else was to befall the Colonel. He coughed, clearing his throat after taking a few sips of water.

"According to Ebrahim, if Jack should survive the ordeal of the drop, then he would be carried away by the fast-flowing river which disappears into a dark cave some distance from the waterfall. It's said to flow underground for some distance and legend has it that the cave is the gateway to hell. One of the mountains of that region is a volcano and, apparently, the river boils before it actually emerges into the valley on the other side." His voice ceased up altogether. Bringing his hand up to cover his mouth, he wasn't sure if he needed a drink or whether he wanted to vomit. Finally, he managed to gulp hard with difficulty, swallowing the lump that was wedged firmly in the back of his throat threatening to choke him.

"Oh God!" Sam uttered softly."

"How much time do we have left, Major?"

Sam looks at her watch and does a quick calculation in her head.

"Not long, sir. If we leave within the next 30 minutes then we should just about make the village before the sun dips below the tree line. That gives us about 20 minutes to appraise the situation and effect a rescue, before..." Sam's voice trailed off, but she was confident that they would fully comprehend the rest of the information without her having to say anything more.

"Very well, people." Hammond's own feelings of dread for his second in command was quite genuine. There wasn't much of a choice in his books. Jack was a valuable member of his crew, and to bring him back – at least alive - was only going to happen if they acted now. "SG-2 are already on stand-by, so they can join you. Major, you'll be in charge of this rescue mission; you have a go in ten minutes."

"Thank you Sir." The relief that they could return for the man who happened to be their CO, too, was uttered by all three remaining members of SG-1.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jack woke with a start. The sudden shock of icy cold water hitting his abused body woke him from the oblivion into which he'd willingly sunk. He shook his head to clear the water from his face, only to be assaulted by the agonising pain radiating across the whole of his back. His eyes closed and his body stiffened up, holding him rigid while he rode out the nauseating waves of agony. Only moments later he felt his bonds being released. All thoughts that his punishment was over, were abruptly curtailed when his hands were once again tightly bound behind him and he was dragged to his feet. Back on two feet again he staggered feeling light headed from the blood loss. Mentally, he knew it was bad, and now he could see for himself that it looked every bit as bad as it had felt; the ground around the base of the pole as well as the lower half of his pants was red with his blood. He jerked and whimpered when a sudden prod in his back sent fresh waves of pain rippling through his body once more. Somehow managing to remain upright, he was propelled forward. Unceremoniously shoved towards his so-called friend, Ebrahim.

The two exchanged searching looks. Ebrahim's brown eyes were saddened, and reflected back to him the absolute misery he was feeling right now.

Ebrahim sighed and looked away, his thoughts weighing heavily on him. This man, this stranger to their lands, whom he'd liked and begun to place his trust in, had turned out to be nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. The very Devil himself had beguiled him into a naivety more worthy of a child until he'd finally revealed his true self to them all. The thought dismayed him greatly. Jack's own dark eyes, hooded not only with disillusioned frustration but also a deep pain of injustice stared right back, making him feel no better than the man before him.

Jack still didn't fully comprehend why this was happening. All he'd managed to garner from the look in the elder's eyes was remorsefulness and yet hidden in there, too, was also a kind of perverted sense of justice. The obvious regret that the older native had been forced into making him suffer was understandable. After all they were supposed to have been heading up a peaceful treaty. Instead, they were about as far apart as they could be, and he was left in no doubts as to what was surely going to be a very painful death. Particularly if his 'kids' and maybe one of the other teams didn't return to rescue him anytime soon.

Ebrahim averted his eyes from the hard gaze and nodded to the guards. Jack was then forced to walk towards the Western gate of the town where crowds had been gathered to watch his punishment – he noticed that they all kept their distance as he passed by them. Where once they had greeted him with smiles, they now hissed and spat at him as he staggered past unsteadily.

He stumbled along the rough hewn path several times, unable to fight against the weakness caused by the amount of blood he'd lost through the whipping. Jack knew that wasn't the only reason to account for the way he was feeling; his body was probably suffering from shock, and he was most probably hypothermic, too. The shock of cold water from the rescue attempt and then the cold wake-up call he'd received, was gone, but so had the shivering and that Jack knew that it was a really bad sign. He knew without a doubt he should be distinctly chilled by now, but instead all he felt was a peculiar nothingness, neither hot nor cold. The lethargy made his legs feel wooden, and weighed him down like they were filled with lead. Trembling from weakness now, he faltered many times, falling to his knees unable to keep the groan of agony from his lips. Without a care to his condition, the guards yanked him back to his feet again and again, forcing him to march onwards, when all he wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep – preferably, strange as it may seem, in the infirmary under Doc. Fraiser's care.

The crowd following in their wake, eager to witnesses the final punishment. The narrow stony path wound upwards, seeming to go on forever, and still Jack stumbled on, forced repeatedly to walk beyond his limited endurance. Sheer willpower alone kept him from giving in to the exhaustion he felt. He wanted nothing more, than to collapse onto the hard ground and yield to the pull of oblivion. If he was going to his death, which this very much looked like, then he wanted to face it head on with his eyes open, still actively seeking a way out; to survive at all costs.

That was the crux of the problem though. Without realising it, Jack was actively feeding the fantasy that had placed him right there in that spot. He was the Devil Incarnate, by his very own determination. 'Surely...' they muttered amongst themselves, 'no mere mortal could have lasted this long in such a state as he was?' Therefore he had proved beyond a doubt that he was whom they believed - and they rejoiced at the prospect of his imminent destruction.

With sweat drenching his body by the time he reached the specified point on the mountain. He'd been shambling along for what felt like an eternity before they all came to a stop. Any sweat Jack had managed to build up now chilled on his flesh. His limbs were stiff and uncooperative, and deep tremors wracked his body from sheer exhaustion. The biting cold of the evening air no longer affected him as he collapsed to the ground unable to keep himself upright. Jack had no idea what the time was, but he could see from the pink tinted sky to the west that it would soon be night. All around him, the natives looked eagerly as the sun finally sank towards the horizon.

Not exactly sure what was next on the agenda, Jack sensed that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be anything pleasant. They'd allowed him to stay where he'd fallen, while they listened to the melodic chanting which Ebrahim had started singing. It was, Jack supposed, some sort of ritual and concerned him, because every now and then Ebrahim turned to point at him – all of which brought forth a surge of muttered agreements from the crowd.

Years of practice gave Jack the advantage of tuning people out, which he did now, easily, while he wondered where his team was, and if they were on their way right now to save him from an almost certain death._Anytime now Carter would be good!_' he muttered internally, hoping that - even as he sat there gaining his breath - they were about to spring him from this preposterous, yet all too real, fate.

No such luck!

The guards were on him already, dragging him to his sore feet again, his limbs protesting painfully. Gradually he became aware of a thundering roar, and only now realised where he was. He'd heard the noise, but thought most of it was inside his aching head. Well, now he knew better. The little group of guards holding him stopped at the very edge of the cliff, his toes quite literally overhanging the drop. Held there securely by the guards, he saw the waterfall off to his right, where the huge volume of rushing water fell at a heart-stopping rate. Any other time and this scene would have thrilled him, but right now he could only wish he was several million light years away – relaxing at home in his ranch style house or preferably his cabin. The heavy spray of water quickly soaked them right where they stood. Looking down at the sheer drop below, he gulped convulsively as his heart hammered in his chest drowning out all thoughts, when a moment of utter panic set in.

_No way! _

There was no way he'd survive a drop like this, especially given his present condition, let alone with his hands tied behind him. Giving his hands a tug on their bindings, he gave up all hope. If his team did return, then they were leaving it kinda late to save him; he could see no way out of this, and it would take a miracle if he was going to live to see another day. His one regret was leaving his team, and more particularly Sam. With her in mind he made his peace, and sent her all his love, wishing he could give her more than he'd been able to do so lately.

In the gathering gloom of the evening, the shadows made the river look terrifyingly small from this height. The small bulge of the dark lake immediately below him resembled nothing more than a small pond – not even as big as the one he had in Minnesota. Once the river had dropped to the very depths of the fall, it resumed it rapid journey once more into the distance. He tried to follow the river with his eyes, as it rushed headlong on its way, the brighter sparkles from the last rays of the sun lighting its path, before it finally disappeared into nothing.

He wondered just how deep that little 'pond' would be, and whether he could adjust his plunge into some semblance of a survivable dive. He knew he stood a better chance with his hands tied in front of him, but there was no use in wishing – it just wasn't to be. He closed his eyes, while his nerves teetered at the very edge of his patience - expecting any minute for that final push that would almost certainly send him into the next life.

Minutes ticked by in the tense silence which had fallen over the whole scene. Even the birds had stilled their myriad calls as time stretched out beyond the limit of existence. In seeming slow motion Ebrahim's hand hovered briefly then gave that final, fateful push..

Jack had tensed, ready and waiting for it to come, and then suddenly he was falling, tumbling into nothing but thin air.

OoOoOoOoOoO

As leader of the rescue party, Sam Carter had divided her troops into the two teams. Three quarters of SG-2, under the leadership of Lou Ferretti, were ordered to follow the trail up the hill, but were to remain at a discrete distance and stay well hidden. It was their job to keep an eye on what the natives were doing to the Colonel. Ferretti looked on as his friend was forcibly marched at the head of the column. When they finally reached the top, SG-2 went into hiding among the trees and bushes as near as they could and watched helplessly as Jack collapsed into a sweating heap on the ground; his exhausted state, plain for all to see.

Lou could see exactly what they had done to his friend, the angry blood red lines scored across Jack's back stood out stark against his pale skin in the flickering of flaming torches - clear evidence of his punishment. Lou clenched his fists simmering in anger and frustration. He wanted nothing more than to rush out there and grab Jack before they could do anything else to him, but orders were orders and like the proverbially good soldier, he waited, watching silently for the next move. They were only there to observe and report for now. Sam hadn't wanted them to attack the natives there, her reasons being that though they had superior weapons, they were far outnumbered, and the Colonel was in a vulnerable position. They would only move in to take them down if there was no other way...or if they threatened Jack's life before they tossed him over the cliff.

Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and Harper who was SG-2s medic had circled round from the other side and now watched from the shadows of the trees far below the cliff-face where Jack would hover between standing on the edge and waiting for that telling shove. The churning waterfall to their left so they could observe what was happening from the opposite side of the lake. In a way, Sam wished she didn't know what the elders were going to do, but she did - and nothing could change that. When the guards appeared at the very edge of the precipice and high-lighted by the last rays of the setting sun, it was easy to see they were holding Jack firmly between them, so they all knew without a doubt, that it was actually going to happen. She hadn't wanted to believe it, but there they were, doing exactly what had Daniel had been told would happen.

They took off in a rush to reach a point in the valley from where they could initiate a rescue plan. Sam stopped at the base of the cliff and looked up in time to see Jack tumble into nothing as he was launched off the promontory. There was no cry from him, just a silent rather graceless fall with barely a struggle to survive the plunge at all. There was no time to lose. Teal'c being the strongest of them all and aided by his symbiote quickly divested himself of his boots, jacket and vest and then he plunged into the frigid water.

Seconds later a conspicuously loud and ominous splash in the dark indicated that Jack had now plummeted below the freezing cold surface of the lake. Teal'c swam down to reach his friend, ready to drag him to safety. It wasn't easy to see him; the shadows were long and plunged the valley into an eerie darkness.

TBC


	7. Quiet Prayers & Crossed Fingers

_Here's yet another chapter for you to enjoy. RL is a little hectic right now, but another update is here at last._

_Thank you to everyone who wrote in to review the last chapter or sent a pm to me – glad to know you're enjoying this so much._

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

Seconds later a conspicuously loud and ominous splash in the dark indicated that Jack had now plummeted below the freezing cold surface of the lake. Teal'c swam down to reach his friend, ready to drag him to safety. It wasn't easy to see him; the shadows were long and plunged the valley into an eerie darkness.

Chapter 7 – Quick Prayers and Crossed Fingers

Being physically weakened already, Jack tried hard to formulate a better position as he fell but it was damn nigh impossible to achieve with his hands tied behind him, and any movement of his arms resulted in sheer agony as they rubbed against his lacerated back. Only brief moments had passed -- though it felt like a lifetime had come and gone to Jack -- before he smacked into the icy water, and he did so with all the force of smashing into a brick wall. As he plunged deep into the inky depths his consciousness was abruptly wrenched from him, and freezing cold water began to fill lungs that were already deflated from the shock of hitting the seemingly solid surface and then disappearing into the chilly depths.

Rendered completely insensate, Jack knew nothing as he rose briefly to bob on the surface of the lake, floating free for just a few seconds before being swept away in the churning rush of wild foam that marked the rebirth of the river. His limp body was tossed about carelessly while the ferocious undercurrent carried him away from his assassins; away from the township where he had previously made friends; never to be seen again; banished for all time according to their sacred scriptures.

Teal'c ignored the deep chill of the restless waves as he headed towards the point where he believed his friend had plunged, but by the time he'd reached there, Jack was nowhere to be seen. He stopped, breathlessly fighting against the fast flowing currents of the freezing water, to scour the dark surface looking for his friend. He could see Sam trying to attract his attention by jumping up and down waving to him. Teal'c then realised that she was frantically pointed to somewhere downstream. The muscles on Teal'c's arms rippled as he took off with powerful strokes in pursuit. The others followed along the bank and were trying to keep up with Jack's inert body as he was tossed about, leaving them to feel more than useless while they urged Teal'c onwards towards his quarry.

The churning of the water and the darkness made it almost impossible to see where his brother warrior was, but Teal'c soon spotted his lifeless form bobbing just a few yards away from him, and struck out with a renewed hope of reaching O'Neill before he sank below the dark depths again. The chill of the water was tiring him to the point of exhaustion, but he pushed the feeling aside, wanting only to save his Tau'ri friend.

OoOoOoOoO

Ferretti, who had followed the natives up the trail, had looked on in sheer helplessness as Jack was roughly pushed over the edge. Being of Italian descent and from a good Catholic family he'd crossed himself and whispered a quick prayer for his friend before shutting his eyes to block out the sight. It turned his stomach to think about what Jack was going through and what was to happen once he'd hit the bottom. He and his team would have liked nothing better than to open fire in revenge, but he was a soldier and would follow his orders. Sam had already explained to him, and made him promise, that not one of the natives should be punished for what they had perceived as their right to execute the devil. Jack had understood, so Ferretti would see to it that Jack's wishes would be adhered to – no matter what the cost. Of course, that didn't mean to say he would like turning a blind eye to Jack's distress; his own stomach turned along with Jack's as they watched the Colonel tumble headlong over the cliff.

He and his team had waited none too patiently for any signs that these people might have spotted the other SGC members attempting a rescue, but there were no cries of discovery or yells of deceit to rend the cool night air. The people had cheered when the final push came and then they had quietly turned to leave, walking back down the hillside to resume their ordered lives. The only person left was Ebrahim, who stood and stared over the edge for a long time once more. If the man had seen Teal'c attempting to save Jack, then he'd said nothing. Lou watched him closely, puzzled at the enigmatic smile which lifted the corner of Ebrahim's mouth slightly just as he turned away from the edge, towards the spot where Ferretti's team were in hiding in the darkness. The fleeting gesture on the older man's face disappeared as quickly as it came before he too, joined his people in their homeward journey.

SG-2 broke cover when the coast was clear, thankful that they hadn't been forced to use their weapons against these folks. Ferretti fingered the radio, telling Sam it was safe, and then beckoned his team to follow the path of the river, ready to meet up with SG-1, who, hopefully, should be reunited with Jack by now.

OoOoOoOoO

Teal'c stretched out a hand and snagged the frozen, saturated body of his friend, pulling the unconscious form towards him to cradle it against his chest, and then kicked out for the shore.

Sam and Daniel ran waist deep into the freezing water to help drag Jack's limp form from Teal'c's arms, allowing the exhausted Jaffa to struggle from the river's pull with Harper's help.

They lay their CO out onto the sandy bank, releasing the bonds which bound his hands behind him. Sam felt for a pulse against Jack's neck. He was frozen to the touch, his face deathly pale in the torchlight. With tears in her eyes, she shook her head in frustration. She couldn't feel any reassuring throb beneath her fingers.

"Nooooo!…C'mon Colonel, please! Jack! Don't you dare die! Do you hear me?" she growled. "Don't do this! Not now, dammit!"

She and Harper ignored the blood as it flowed from a deep cut on his forehead, and began CPR, hoping against hope that they could revive him.

Teal'c watched with a detached fear growing in his heart for the brave warrior who had freed him from Apophis' tyranny and given him hope for his people's future. He little understood the reasons behind this needless act of brutality against his friend. However insignificantly he allowed his emotions to show, he was still assaulted by a deep sense of grief when O'Neill's body rejected all attempts at revival.

Daniel could only watch in horror as Sam and Harper worked hard to try and revive Jack. He just couldn't imagine life without his best friend – there was no way he was going to allow Jack to leave them. His fingers itched to help but Harper knew what he was doing, and so did Sam for that matter. After the fiasco with the Antarctic gate where both she and Jack almost died, she'd put herself through a field medical programme with Janet's blessing and encouragement, so he knew they were the best people to help Jack in this situation.

Long minutes dragged on, but Sam and Harper refused to give up on the Colonel. Then Sam suddenly gave a surprised yelp of glee when she felt a soft, sharp intake of air from the slack body beneath her hands, which then turned into a deep shuddering gasp, followed by a strangled choke. Quickly she and Harper flipped Jack onto his side, in order for him to expel the water clogging his lungs and stomach. Sam's hand automatically soothing him with gentle strokes up and down his arm, judiciously avoiding the Colonel's deeply lacerated back; and all whilst clinging desperately onto his hand. Whether this was for Jack's comfort or for her own she wasn't sure, perhaps both, but it felt so good because it meant he was alive.

Jack coughed and retched, desperately trying to clear his lungs. Intense pain radiated through his back chest with every breath now aggravated by the spasms of choking. Finally when the wracking heaves subsided, did he feel the rest of his battered body consumed by a fiery agony, and he let loose a soft whimper, though much too weak to lend much voice to it. By the time his friends had gently laid him back again, he'd already passed out once more.

Sam's nervous fingers searched for a reassuring pulse, suddenly afraid the shock was too much and he'd died after all. She let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief when she found a feeble throb. Sam was so relieved that tears leaked down her cheeks, though she never really noticed them. Jack was alive and that was all that mattered to her.

However Daniel snapped her from her brief moment of joy, when he grabbed one of the canteens of water and began to clean Jack's face of the blood. It still ran freely from the deep gash at his temple. Daniel surmised that it was a result of Jack hitting a rock or something hidden in the water. Sam shook her head trying to shake off the horror of what might have been, and set to in helping to tend to Jack injuries; in her frantic efforts to restart his heart she had forgotten all about him being whipped. Her duty as medic took over and she set to work with Harper to assess Jack's condition.

Daniel had barely spoken two words to her since their departure from this world earlier. Being none too gently pushed away so that the two of them could work on Jack he watched her now as she worked, uncertain as to what she was feeling at this point. Admittedly she had cried a few tears, but to look at her right now, she looked every bit the medic; Jack could have been just another patient for all she cared. She had shown some concern for Jack's condition, she now seemed indifferent to anything other than her duty and showed it by merely presenting a purely platonic friendship towards the injured man. It puzzled him deeply.

Several minutes later Jack was stripped of his wet things, bandaged, dressed in dry clothes and after adding a few warming compresses to his neck, chest and groin, he was then wrapped in a sleeping bag, and covered with several blankets. He was still cold, and although he was still far too weak, he did begin to shiver which they knew was a better sign than no reaction at all.

Teal'c had quickly changed out of his wet gear too, using the clean dry clothes he'd brought with him, knowing he would need them.

In all this time Jack hadn't stirred, his breathing was rather harsh and rattled in his chest, but Sam was more than thankful when Ferretti and his men found them after an hour had passed, and it was at this point that they made ready to place Jack onto the stretcher for the long journey back to the Stargate.

It was an arduous journey through the dark forest, but eventually they made it, by taking turns to carry the stretcher between them. Sam, along with Harper, had watched the Colonel closely, making sure that he was still with them. Even though his noisy breathing was reassurance in itself, she still felt the need to make sure of it; for her own peace of mind. Though comforting to know Jack was alive, the wheezy rattle with every breath he took was still enough to worry the returning party, so they picked up the pace as best they could in order to get him to Janet as quickly as possible.

TBC


	8. Relief, Arguments & Guilty Tears

_Hi everyone... bet you thought I'd dropped off the face of the earth, didn't ya! Let's just say that RL has been a real pain in mikta, but I'm back to get this story finished. Maybe I'll have some more of my new story finished – at least enough to let you get the first chapter at least. Not many chapters to go now. Sorry to have kept you hanging there. Thanks as always for your wonderful comments, and for staying with me._

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

It was an arduous journey through the dark forest, but eventually they made it by taking turns to carry the stretcher between them. Sam, along with Harper, had watched the Colonel closely, making sure that he was still with them. Even though his noisy breathing was reassurance in itself, she still felt the need to make sure of it; for her own peace of mind. Though comforting to know Jack was alive, the wheezy rattle with every breath he took was still enough to worry the returning party, so they picked up the pace as best they could in order to get him to Janet as quickly as possible.

Chapter 8 – Relief, Arguments & Guilty Tears

General Hammond took up his usual place at the foot of the ramp, the diminutive doctor beside him -- her team ready and waiting in the background with a gurney. All it wanted now was the team to step from the shimmering wormhole and then the process of nursing Colonel O'Neill back to health could begin. Hammond refused to think that it might already be too late.

Moments later the gate room was full of activity. The first ones to emerge from the flickering blue flux was Teal'c and two of Ferretti's men, carrying the stretcher on which lay Jack. Then Daniel and Sam came through followed by Ferretti and Andrews. The iris closing behind them was a relief felt by all. Ferretti breathed a huge sigh as the wormhole snapped off, for some time he felt that he was being watched as they escaped the planet, expecting any minute to be ambushed.

The stretcher was placed directly onto the gurney and Janet approached it quickly, running her experienced eye in a rapid assessment over Jack to assess his condition, all whilst making haste to get him to the infirmary.

General Hammond had studied the pale inert figure, lying forlorn on the gurney and made a mental note of the dressing covering his head. As he understood it, Jack had been lashed with a whip, but clearly he had received other injuries, too.

"Major Carter?" he asked puzzled.

Sam saw the perplexed frown on the General's face, and watched as his eyes took in Jack's appearance before he was whisked away.

"We're not sure, General. After the natives pushed him off the top of the cliff into the river we think he may have scraped the bottom, or perhaps hit a rock when he plunged in, Sir. The impact was pretty solid when he hit the water."

"I see," he grimaced, then turned to look at Teal'c. "Teal'c get yourself checked over and then join us in the debriefing. Briefing room now, people."

A chorus of "Yes Sir's!" from the two teams reached him as he turned and made for the doorway, clearly concerned.

Weary though she was, Sam trudged up the stairs behind the SGC's Commander in Chief. The others filed into the room behind her to sit themselves down around the table with Hammond as usual at its head.

"What happened out there, Major?" he asked turning towards Sam.

"When we arrived at the township, it was practically deserted, sir. We discovered the inhabitants were climbing up the hillside as predicted. That's when Major Ferretti spotted Colonel O'Neill, Sir. He was being compelled to walk up..."

"Walk? Sir, he could hardly stand, and his steps were no more than a stagger," Ferretti gasped, still feeling outraged at what they'd forced Jack to do in his condition.

"We should never have waited," Daniel interrupted, giving Sam a hard glare. "Jack needed us and we left him behind. God only knows what they did to him after we'd left and before we got back there."

Sam looked up quickly at Daniel's statement. His unspoken accusation that she hadn't done enough was clearly evident in his face if not his words. He was obviously still angry with her for delaying Jack's rescue.

"We had no choice, Daniel," she countered.

Daniel opened his mouth to continue with his indictment, his eyes bright with annoyance, but General Hammond prevented the words from spouting forth.

"Doctor Jackson, as far as I'm concerned, Major Carter made the right decision. Her leadership is not the topic up for debate here. This is merely a report on the mission to rescue Colonel O'Neill. If you would like to add anything you feel is relevant then please do so," Hammond reprimanded gently, knowing that the archaeologist was riding high on his frazzled nerves, just as he expected Major Carter and Teal'c were, too. He nodded to Ferretti, who understood exactly what Hammond had silently asked him to do, and after a moment, a cup of hot coffee was placed in front of Daniel.

Hammond took pity on Sam, knowing that she would be feeling guilty enough as it was, but more so now that Dr. Jackson had openly challenged her leadership. The General continued after several minutes to allow the teams to cool their frustrations.

"Any further comments you'd like to add Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel studied his fingers now wrapped around the steaming cup, before muttering his reply.

"None, General."

Sam then continued at a nod from the senior officer.

"I split my forces up, Sir. I sent Major Ferretti and two of his men to follow the group, while I took SG-1 and Lt. Harper to the base of the cliff..."

"Why?" Hammond asked, curious as to why she had sent SG-2 to follow Jack.

"I speculated that perhaps they would be able to stop them, but just to be on the safe side, I took the alternative and followed the river's path. Ferretti signalled they had stopped and we looked up we could see the Colonel standing on the very edge, silhouetted by the setting sun. He was held there by at least two guards."

"Major Ferretti?"

"They'd forced the Colonel up the hill at the head of the townspeople General," Ferretti continued the report. "The chief gave some sort of speech. After which they then dragged Colonel O'Neill over to the cliff's edge, they held him there while the Chief gave another short speech before they forcefully shoved him from behind. He could barely stand, Sir, if it wasn't for the guards he would have collapsed. I was just too late to be able to rescue the Colonel from our position, when he was pushed. His hands were tied and in his condition he must have hit the water pretty hard, Sir. He was pretty much beaten up when we joined the others on the beach. Major Carter, Dr. Jackson and Harper had managed to revive him, but he remained unconscious while we loaded him onto the stretcher ready for the journey home."

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat noisily, closing her eyes as the scene flashed into her mind once again. It was bad enough seeing it the first time, let alone over and over.

"You had to revive him, Major Carter?"

Sam opened her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, ready to take up her side of the events again.

"Yes Sir. Colonel O'Neill wasn't breathing when Teal'c managed to drag him from the river, and I couldn't find a pulse, so Daniel, Harper and I started CPR and rescue breathing. We managed to get him breathing again, but he never properly regained consciousness. As soon as we rendezvoused with Ferretti and his team, we headed back to the Stargate."

Anything further to add, Major Ferretti?"

"Nothing, Sir. It's just as Major Carter stated. We met up with SG-1 and came home. We didn't encounter any difficulties on the return journey, Sir. It's like they had accomplished what their law required and whatever happened to him after that was none of their business. We knew they were watching us, but they never actually showed themselves. It felt like we were being followed, although, again, nobody made a move to stop us."

"Sir," Sam pleaded, desperate to find out how Jack was faring. She really needed to discover if he was going to survive after his ordeal.

Hammond understood her request.

"Okay people, let me have your written reports in due time. Report to the infirmary for your post mission checks. Dismissed!"

Sam, closely followed by Teal'c, Daniel, Ferretti and the rest of his team, arrived outside the infirmary a little breathless in time to see Janet emerge from behind the curtain 'round the bed in the far corner.

"Janet?"

The petite doctor smiled wryly at the sight of them, all agog to hear the news about their friend and leader. As usual it was Sam with the leading question.

"It's still too early to say, but I hope that given some time, he'll recover fully," she said, answering the loaded question, halting them in their tracks. "He was still hypothermic on arrival and we were trying to get his core temperature up, but it just kept rising, indicating more of a problem than just the hypothermia. So, at the moment, he's fighting off a high fever, which I suspect relates to the infected wounds on his back. Additionally, he has a concussion and a couple of broken ribs. He's dehydrated, has numerous cuts and abrasions and, on top of all that, his lungs are congested. So, all in all, he's pretty sick right now. But I think there is room for optimism."

"Can we see him?" Sam ventured, shocked at the list of ailments. "Please?"

Janet deliberated, observing the look on their faces, and then relented. They needed to see the Colonel for themselves, if only to be reassured that he was still alive. Sam had been so worried when they'd arrived back through the gate. It wouldn't hurt to allow them to take a peek for a minute or two.

"Sure, but only one at a time, and no longer than a few moments. My staff and I have got our work cut out for a while yet."

"Thanks Janet," Sam squeezed her friend's arm in passing, as she made for the curtained area, brushing aside Daniel's own need to see his friend, too.

Daniel sighed with frustration at Sam's recent attitude. He resented the fact that Sam felt it was her given right to see Jack first. He resorted to hugging himself, while he tried to understand how their friendship had come down to this.

Janet could tell straight away that something was amiss between her friends and vowed to get to the bottom of things. Right now though, she prompted them towards the other end of the room in order for them to undergo their medicals.

Sam slipped in quietly as she pulled the curtain behind her, shutting off the view from the others. She needed time to accept her own decisions about the condition of the quiescent form on the bed. There were so many unanswerable questions in her mind right now, and seeing Jack like this was so hard to accept. Was Daniel right? Had she abandoned Jack? She stood transfixed for a few moments fighting hard to keep the tears at bay.

Jack's upper body was swathed in white bandages; his head wound had been stitched and covered with a dressing, too. His arms were resting by his sides, punctured by tubes feeding his battered body with vital fluids, medication and extra blood to replace the loss. His wrists were bandaged hiding the damage from the rough twine that had bound them. A nasal cannula fed him extra oxygen through his nose, and overall it painted a terrible picture that Sam's heart could barely abide seeing. The guilt of leaving him to face his so-called punishment alone was overpowering and finally caused the tears to stream down her face.

Angrily batting the moisture aside, she lightly traced her tear-stained fingers over his lips, moving them along his strong jaw-line to smooth the sweaty salt and pepper strands of hair at his brow. She could feel the burning heat of fever there, but ignoring that, she leaned forward and brushed a light kiss over his lips, silently pleading with him to forgive her, and make it through this crisis. Taking a good long look at him, she turned abruptly and fled the confines of the curtained off area. She would have liked to have left the infirmary altogether but Janet's voice halted her progress before she'd reached the door.

"Sam!"

"Janet," she sighed in resignation, stopping as she did so but without turning round to face her friend.

"I need to run your post mission check," Janet reminded her firmly.

Sam inwardly sighed before swivelling to face the petite doctor. She should have known better than to try and escape from Janet's clutches.

"Okay, but can we hurry it up, please?" she snapped impatiently.

"Why? What's the rush?" Janet asked calmly, purposely ignoring the sharp tone, after all, Sam was allowed a little lee-way seeing as the man she loved was lying not three metres away, sick and injured.

"I have some work to finish."

"Sam? That's not the real reason, is it?" Janet probed pointing to the bed nearby. Knowing her friend as well as she did, she knew there was something very wrong here, and she was willing to bet it had something to do with Daniel's odd behaviour.

Sam sat down heavily, and allowed Janet to run her tests. She kept her head down thereby avoiding Janet's sharp probing eyes.

"There's no reason for you to be feeling guilty, you know. Colonel O'Neill would have done the same, too. You know he would."

Sam sighed feeling the well of tears behind her eyes return. Trust Janet to know exactly what she was thinking and feeling.

"No, he wouldn't! He would have refused to leave any one of us behind. He'd do his damnedest to rescue us and get us home, **before** any harm came to us. I failed him."

"That's nonsense and you know it! He would never blame you for doing what he would believe was your given duty."

"And he nearly died because I did what I thought was right. I don't know about you, but I can't live with that, Janet. It's tearing me apart! Even Daniel thinks I've gone too far this time! He won't even look at me," she exclaimed angrily in a voice choked by threatening tears.

"This is not about what Daniel thinks; it's about how the Colonel will view it when he recovers. I don't believe for one minute that he would blame you at all. You know damn well he wouldn't do that, Sam." Janet cast a look round the room, and dropped her voice, "He loves you. Don't you care about that?"

"Of course I care, but this is just too much. I broke his cardinal rule Janet; I left him behind, and he nearly died because of my decision. Why can't you understand - there's no way back from this. He'll hate me! We're finished!"

"Then maybe you don't know the Colonel as well as I thought you did, because he'll recognise the situation for what it was. He won't blame you for making that decision. You're reading too much into this. Don't abandon him right now, just because you 'think' you've done wrong. He'll need you more than ever while he recovers."

Sam sat silently, withdrawn within herself while she wrestled with her friends words. Janet laid a hand on her arm, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Sam?"

"Okay. I'll be here if he needs me, but as soon as he recalls the incident, I'll have to put in for a transfer. He won't want anyone under his command that he can't trust."

"Look, don't do anything you might later regret. Wait and see what he says. Please!"

"Janet, I'll never be able to look him in the eye. It wouldn't be fair to him to have to work with me. He'll never be able to trust me anymore."

"Sam..." Janet began, but Sam interrupted her tersely, unwilling to carry on with the pointless exchange.

"Are you done?"

Janet sighed but nodded.

"The medical? Yes, for now. The talking..." Again, Sam cut her words off, refusing to listen any longer.

"Good!"

TBC

_A/N: I have some good news and bad news: The __**bad**__ news is I now have a problem with my ears - throwing my balance all over the place as well as affecting my hearing. And the __**good **__news is that I now have my first grandchild, thanks to my daughter Kate. Little Connor James is now a month old, and Hubby and I took some time off to go visit all the family – they live 200 miles away._


	9. Daniel in the Dog House

_Thank you all so much for your wonderful warm wishes and congratulations as well as your very welcome reviews. I made a promise that I wouldn't keep you hanging on so long, so here is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it as much as the last._

_Diane – you took the words right out of my mouth!_

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

"Sam..." Janet began, but Sam interrupted her tersely, unwilling to carry on with the pointless exchange.

"Are you done?"

Janet sighed but nodded.

"The medical? Yes, for now. The talking..." Again, Sam cut her words off, refusing to listen any longer.

"Good!"

**Chapter 9 – Daniel in the Dog House**

The conversation, having come to an abrupt end, had Sam leaping from the bed and out of the door before Janet could gather her thoughts enough to stop her.

Feeling stunned at her friend's cold reaction, Janet watched open-mouthed as the door swung closed, and wondered just what was causing the problem with Sam. Whatever it was, she knew without a doubt that it was something big, and very serious. She didn't like it one bit and mentally she armed herself for the fight, determined to sort things out, one way or another. These were her closest friends and they all needed each other if they were going to survive this and still come out as a united team.

She roused her thoughts as she walked over to the curtained area and pulled them aside to come face to face with a rather self-conscious Daniel. She could tell by his face that he'd heard almost everything. Giving Jack's vitals another quick check, she shooed Daniel from the bedside.

"My office, Daniel…now!" She wasn't going to take no for an answer – not if she wanted to fix things between the four of them.

Daniel nodded reluctantly. Janet was in determined mood, so he followed rather meekly. Once they were there, she quickly shut the door to gain some privacy.

"Sit!" she demanded, perching herself on the edge of her desk and folding her arms so that they could at least be eye to eye and that Daniel understood she'd accept no balking from him.

"Daniel…what the hell is going on between you and Sam?"

He drew in a deep breath and blew it out noisily, defeat written clearly across his face, though he refused to look her in the eye.

"I don't really know," he sighed again, dragging the words out with an effort. "Out there..." He waved a hand to emphasize when they were off-world. "She... I thought she loved him Janet, but...she was acting hard and unfeeling. I've never seen her like that. Even afterwards, when Teal'c dragged Jack from the river, it was like she was detached - aloof somehow. Like she was treating Ferretti, or someone else other than Jack."

"So what happened between you for it to get this bad?"

"I just couldn't believe she would leave him behind," he replied angrily.

"So, you argued with her?"

"Not exactly, no. I got annoyed, yes, but I never said anything..."

"You didn't have to apparently."

"No, so I heard." He ducked his head and studied his finger nails, partly ashamed that Janet was reading him like a book.

"We need to convince her to ride this out, Daniel... not to allow her be rash in whatever actions she took or takes from here on. She was doing her best. It's tough enough being in command and it's her job when the Colonel is no longer able to take control of the situation. She had to make those tough decisions whether she liked it or not, and in spite of her own personal feelings. Just ask the Colonel what that's like – I'm pretty sure he knows exactly how hard it is."

Daniel frowned at her, but sighed again, dropping his head into his hands. He was really tired of this. He just wanted things to return to normal. Most of all he wanted Jack to be okay.

"Please, Daniel. Talk to her. Your disapproval of her actions, however noble they may be, is making her worse."

He heard her words, understood her insight even, but thinking things through was giving him a headache of massive proportions.

Hearing no complaints, denials or comments coming from the man in front of her, Janet continued.

"You know, when the Colonel recovers he's going to wonder why his team is falling apart around him, and it's not going to do him any good at all. Knowing him as well as we do, he's going to believe that it's his entire fault and that alone will tear him apart. He needs **all** of you to rally round him, Daniel. It's been through the hell this time, literally, and he should have his team to see him through it. Even if he doesn't admit that to anyone, you know that's the truth. He's a very...private man, and it's probably earned him more concern knowing you all had to witness his punishment. He'll see this as a sign of weakness, which will make him feel all the more guilty. You have to give it a try Daniel, for Jack's sake. Is that too much to ask for a friend in need?"

Having cleared her thoughts on the subject, Janet raised herself from the desk and sat down on her chair. She felt a little weary from the effort she put into her words, trying to persuade Daniel to act now before it was too late for them all. She could only hope that she had done the right thing.

Daniel stood slowly wrapping his arms around his body to glance through the window towards the curtained off bed. In his mind's eye he could see Jack lying there battered and still unconscious, he turned back to face the earnest expression of his physician and good friend. With a shrug of resignation, he capitulated.

"Okay. I'll try, but I can't promise anything, Janet. You know Sam perhaps better than I do, but, yeah, I'll give it a go. For Jack."

Jack wrestled with his fever for several days by which time Daniel had so far failed to make Sam see sense which frustrated him no end.

Sam had kept her promise to Janet and taken her turn in sitting watching over her CO, but as soon as he showed any sign of recovering his wits - she was conspicuous by her absence.

Janet was the first one to see Jack awaken from his fevered nightmare.

"Colonel!" Janet was smiling down at her patient, glad to see him open his eyes at last.

"Doc!" he croaked, before coughing painfully.

Janet helped him to some ice chips from the glass, and he savoured the refreshing liquid when it melted in his throat.

"Thanks."

He then looked round his bed hoping to see Sam, Daniel or Teal'c, at least one of his 'kids', but Janet appeared to be on her own.

"My team?" he puzzled.

"They're all fine, Colonel. They're working," she informed him, and knowing him so well, she was aware that he would feel their absence keenly.

"Ah!" he closed his eyes, but Janet could see the disappointed in his face despite him trying to hide it.

"How do you feel Sir?"

"Sore! Wrung out! Hot!" He coughed again wearily.

Janet offered him some more ice chips, and read more into his glib statement by mentally adding 'lonely' to the list as well.

"You've been running a fever, Colonel. Those whip-lashes across your back became infected, and you have a chest infection among other things."

"Great!" he sighed, heavily trying not to cough again. "So, what's the bad news?"

"That would be that you're stuck here for a while, Colonel."

He frowned up at her, but the look was spoiled by the fact that he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, and drifted back to sleep.

Janet smiled down at him, relieved that he seemed okay. All it needed to perk him up was to have his team there to greet him the next time he awoke.

Jack was pleased to see Daniel sitting by his bed reading when he woke a couple of days later, though the archaeologist was yawning, and rubbing at his sleep deprived eyes.

"Keeping you up?" Jack asked, giving a small grin.

"Jack!...um...no. I'm fine. It's...been a long day. You?" Daniel closed the book and laid it down onto the bed behind him.

"Like I had a run in with a steam engine."

He coughed a few times, until Daniel held the glass up to his lips for him to sip the cool water.

"Thanks. So...how long?"

"Um...six days."

"That's all? It felt like months."

"High fever," Daniel stated, as if that would explain everything clearly.

"Ya think?"

Jack closed his eyes trying to recall those missing days. Daniel wondered if he'd fallen asleep again, but Jack spoke up once more.

"Where's Carter?"

"Um...Sam's...er...working." She was. He knew she was still in her lab - he'd spoken to her barely a half hour ago.

"Still?"

"Jack, it's not that late. It's..." he glanced at his watch, suddenly realising the time. "Ah...um...well, actually it is."

Jack raised his eyebrow, waiting for Daniel to enlighten him.

"And it's?"

"It's 21:18 actually. I didn't realise it was..." His voice trailed off, unsure what to say.

"Tell her to go home, get some sleep. I'll see her in the morning."

Daniel looked away from Jack's scrutiny a little sheepishly, unwilling and unable to mention anything about the problem between Sam and himself. So far his attempts to talk to Sam had failed to persuade her to change her mind. He'd apologised; he'd pleaded; he'd begged her to just talk things over, but she'd resisted all his endeavours.

"Daniel?" Jack's way of speaking his name, meant he was now suspicious that something was going on, and he wanted, if not needed, to know what.

Daniel didn't answer, so Jack continued.

"Tell!" he demanded, though his voice was still little more than a croak.

Daniel wavered, unsure if he should tell or not, but Jack had a way of undermining his resolve and could always get him to confess to anything and everything.

"Um...she...she doesn't believe you would want to see her," he blurted out in a rapid string of words.

"What?" Jack couldn't be sure he'd heard correctly. "What the hell does that mean?"

"She...feels guilty about leaving you behind..."

"Oh fer cryin' out loud! I told her to go get help. In fact, if I remember rightly, I **ordered** her to return to base."

"You did?" Daniel was startled. "She didn't say that," he accused – at least, he didn't remember. This threw a whole new light on her actions, but, sadly not her attitude.

"I want to see her, Daniel!" he demanded.

"Now?"

"Yes. Now! If she's still on the base, then she can come see me."

"But, it's late...Janet will..."

"Daniel!"

"I don't think she'll come, Jack."

"Daniel!"

Daniel knew when he was beaten, and yielded to Jack's will. He sighed and stood up.

"Okay, okay. I'll try. But don't say I didn't warn you!"

Jack watched him leave, seeing his friend wasn't happy by a long shot. Something funny was going on, and it bugged him. He needed to get to the bottom of what was eating away at his team.

TBC


	10. Regaining Trust

_I know I said on the last update that I wasn't going to keep you all waiting for so long before I updated again, but I sure as hell didn't expect the weather to drop a ton of hailstones on top of us the same afternoon I posted that last chapter. Needless to say, I'm sitting here in an almost empty room because we got flooded out and have lost nearly all our furniture etc.. We had the right idea though – we saved our computers and the TV and all before getting inundated with yucky murky brown water and whatever else it contained. So finally after almost three weeks I am back on-line, though I expect to have to dismantle everything again when the workmen turn up to take up the floor. Oiy!_

_Thank you all for your wonderful comments on chapter 9, which I finally got to read at long last. And thank you for your patience while you waited for me to update this story, and for the fact that you had to wait for so long for this, the final chapter to arrive. I will warn you that it may be some time before I can start on the next one I have lined up for posting. Sorry! RL can sometimes be a right pain in the mikta!_

**The Devil Incarnate.**

by Lingren.

_Previously:-_

Jack watched him leave, seeing his friend wasn't happy by a long shot. Something funny was going on, and it bugged him. He needed to get to the bottom of what was eating away at his team.

**Chapter 10 – Regaining Trust. **

"Sam!"

Sam looked up from her computer and sighed wearily. She wasn't really up to talking with anyone right now, him especially.

"Daniel."

"Um...Jack's awake." He stood there watching her closely to see if there was any adverse reaction to his words – he wasn't at all surprised to find her reluctant to face him.

As soon as the words were out, Sam quickly cast her eyes away from him, looking instead at the computer screen though seeing nothing of the work it displayed.

Unperturbed, Daniel continued when she remained stubbornly silent.

"He wants to see you."

"I don't..."

"Sam. He's asked me to tell you, that he, **Colonel** O'Neill, wants to see you."

She stiffened, angry that her CO had obviously demanded her attendance.

"Was it an official order?"

Daniel sighed, letting his shoulders droop with frustration.

"No...it wasn't. But if you don't go now, he could very well make it one – and we both know that's not what he'd want."

Sam nodded, slightly mollified by Daniel's explanation.

"Okay. I'll be there. Just give me a minute or two."

Daniel gave a satisfied nod and then went off to his lab deep in thought.

Jack looked up and smiled as Sam entered, but one look at her face and the pleasure at seeing her quickly evaporated. Something was definitely wrong.

"Carter?" he greeted her with concern, unsure of what was troubling her so much.

"Sir!" she replied absolutely rigid with military protocol and a coldness that unwillingly made his body give a little shiver.

He grimaced, thinking things must be bad for her demeanour to be like this.

"You wanted to see me...Sir?" she accused with a terseness that had Jack's concern deepen further than the ocean floor.

"I did, yeah," he answered warily, but still trying the friendly approach. "So what happened?"

"Sir?" She pleaded ignorance. "I'm not sure I understand your question, Colonel?"

"Oh fer cryin' out loud! Come on, Carter. Don't give me that dumb act. I may be slow on occasions but I'm not entirely stupid. Spill it!" He ended the weary speech with a long bout of coughing. He helped himself to a few sips of water before he felt able to continue.

In the meantime Sam looking anywhere but at those piercing dark eyes of his, and closed her ears to the harsh sounds coming from the man in the bed. She held back her very close and personal thoughts, but when she didn't answer, he only prodded her further.

"Sam, c'mon, tell me," he pleaded, hoping that by using her given name it would melt the ice clogging up her veins.

After a few moments in which he'd almost given up any hope of reaching her, she spoke, though it almost caused her resolve to falter and admit that there was a problem.

"I...I went against everything I'd been taught. I...I left you behind, Sir," she whispered past the lump firmly wedged in her throat.

Jack looked up into her face, trying to get a look at her eyes. He could see the moisture already lurking behind them waiting to fall at the slightest provocation. He coughed again, exasperated with the way he couldn't speak the way he wanted without having to stop and clear his lungs. It was annoying him like hell, but he pushed on, hoping to break through.

"I ordered you to return, Carter. You did not leave me behind. It was an order which I am glad that you obeyed."

"I'd already taken that option by then, Sir," she countered.

"Then you made the right call," was his response.

"You nearly died!"

"I could have. But I didn't. I didn't die because you came back for me. I don't know how you did it, but I sure as hell wouldn't be sitting here if you hadn't returned. Thanks for that, by the way!"

"Daniel believes I was wrong. He didn't trust me."

"Ah!" So this was the problem, he realised with sudden inspiration. "You made the right call, Major! I trusted you – Major Carter - to make that decision," he stated, then began coughing, finding himself unable to stop it for longer than he wanted. This time Sam offered him the glass and he took it gratefully.

"I don't know if I can do that again, Colonel."

"Carter?"

"I hated myself for leaving you there. I couldn't bear watching...you suffer, so I took the chance to escape."

"Don't put yourself down, Carter. There was no other option. So okay, it was tough, but those people didn't deserve our wrath because of their beliefs. That's the reason I ordered you to return to base and possibly come back later. I trusted you then, and I still do. That's all that matters."

He watched as one tear, quickly followed by another trickled down her cheek. It was hastily brushed aside, while she sniffed back several more.

He coughed once again, but took another sip of water to stifle it.

"How can you still trust me when I left you there to die?" she snapped, angry with herself more than him and turning the conversation more personal when she omitted his rank.

"Because I have the greatest confidence in your abilities, not only as my 2IC, but also as my friend," he stated, then as she looked right at him for the first time, her blue eyes awash with tears, he added softly, "And because I happen to love you, Sam!"

He watched, satisfied, when the barrier finally crumbled and the tears flowed faster until she hiccoughed between gulps.

"C'm'ere!" he beckoned, pulling her gently to his chest when she melted into his arms.

He sat patiently waiting for the sobs to subside while his fingers caressed her hair. He pressed a light kiss to the top of her head. It felt so good to hold her again.

Once the tears had abated she pulled away from his embrace, suddenly embarrassed, and then rubbed and stretched her back, smiling weakly at him.

"Sorry," she murmured, "Awkward position."

He took her hand instead and squeezed it.

"You okay now?"

She nodded, slightly embarrassed at having broken down in front of him. All her former resolve having flown out of the window.

"Yes, Sir...Jack. I think I am, thanks."

Jack couldn't help the sudden yawn that cracked his jaw, or the cough that followed it. He winced and so did Sam.

She grew concerned as it seemed reluctant to stop. Now she looked at him properly she could see that he was exhausted by the constant coughing.

"Are you okay?" she asked, offering him the glass of water.

After downing another few sips, he shrugged.

"Damn infection. Just...tired," he mumbled, settling back into the pillows. It had been a long hard slog getting to the bottom of things, but it had been well worth it. Now all he wanted to do was sleep. "Sooo...are we okay?"

Sam smiled and it was the first time he'd seen her whole face light up since before the mission.

"Yes, Sir!"

"You did good Carter. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

His eyes closed, but he blinked hard to keep them open.

"I swear Doc only gives these damn drugs so she doesn't have to listen to me complaining so much!"

Sam giggled, and he relaxed knowing things would be okay from now on.

"I should leave you to rest, Sir."

He grunted an affirmation and allowed his heavy eyelids to droop.

"That would be the correct assumption, Carter," he slurred sleepily; both unable and unwilling, to drag his eyes open again.

Sam watched and waited until his breathing had evened out then whispered the words she couldn't say earlier.

"I love you too, Jack!" She placed a warm hand on top of his for a moment, then she quietly left him to sleep.

Turning away from him she never saw the smile that diminished the lines of worry on his face as he drifted away.

"Daniel!"

Sam entered the lab, having been too late to see him last night, she was determined to patch things up the first chance she had.

"Sam!" Daniel looked up thoughtfully, wondering what she would have to say. Her tone of voice did sound encouraging though, he admitted to himself.

"Look, I'm sorry if you thought..."

"Sam!" he interrupted. "Actually it's me that should be sorry. I the one to owe you an apology. I didn't realise that Jack had ordered you to pull out. You know, you should have said at the time..."

"No Daniel. I shouldn't have needed to. I was in command during the Colonel's incapacity as leader. I should not have had to resort to those type of tactics," she felt the anger in her rise again. She'd gone in there, trying to put things right, only for Daniel to twist things.

After a few moments which neither spoke, it was a long minute before Daniel broke the stalemate.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I should have taken your word. It's just that...I felt so helpless. I couldn't see that coming back here was going to help Jack at all...only that it would delay things further, and that he might have died if we'd left it too late."

"It was the only way, Daniel. The Colonel knew that. He wouldn't condemn them because of their beliefs. He didn't want them harmed in any way, that's why we took Zats. That's exactly the way you would have wanted things to go, isn't it? We did what we believed was the right thing to do. And as it turned out, everything is going to be fine."

"Yet it could have gone the other way, Sam. Jack could have died..."

"But he didn't die, Daniel. That's the whole point. We got there in time. Ifs or maybes, doesn't count. I learned that from him. He was right, and we have to put this behind us if we want to go on as a team. I can't carry on if you can't trust me to do my job."

Daniel saw her determination, and sighed. He knew she was right. The fact that Jack was willing to back her up was just the persuasion he needed.

"Okay then. You're right, and I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to judge you without knowing all the facts. If things had ended differently...only then should I have cause to doubt your decision. I'm sorry, really!"

Sam looked round to see if anyone was nearby before she closed the door and walked over to stand on the opposite side of the desk, now facing her team-mate.

"God, Daniel...don't you think it tore me up inside to do what I did. I hated myself for leaving him. I had to be hard on myself; otherwise I could have ended up getting all three of us in trouble, too. I'm sorry if it was hard on you guys as well. I never meant to hurt anyone. You know how much I love Jack, and I would willingly have killed anyone who stopped me from rescuing him, but that's not what happened. We did what we had to, and as it was we all came out of this alive."

Daniel felt the weight lift from his shoulders, but at the same time, he realised she was carrying all of the responsibility of Jack's punishment as well as their welfare. He watched as she surreptitiously wiped away a tear. He stepped round the desk and closed on her in two steps, wrapping his arms around her, while she wept in relief.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I've been a real pain in the ass. Forgive me?"

She pulled away and raised her swimming eyes up to his, smiling at his words.

"There's nothing to forgive Daniel. I was just as bad."

"So we're okay?"

"Yeah Daniel. We're fine."

They shared another hug before they both went off to see Janet's less than favourite patient.

Teal'c was standing at the foot of Jack's bed, listening to Jack spout forth on the latest deplorable results of their favourite hockey teams when they entered the room. He nodded to them, and smiled slightly, seeing them both together had finally put his mind at ease. He'd hated to see them falling apart.

"Hi kids!" Jack greeted them, pushing away his half finished breakfast tray.

Daniel spied the toast still sitting forlornly on the plate.

"Don't you want that?"

Jack shook his head.

"Nah! Not really hungry."

Without further ado, Daniel picked it up and started to devour it.

"Help yourself Daniel by all means!"

"Hmm! Thanks," mumbled Daniel through his mouthful."

Jack rolled his eyes, and sighed.

"And you can keep your eyes off my coffee!" Jack added, seeing Daniel look longingly at it. He sought to distract his friend.

"So, are you two okay with everything now?" he asked.

They both looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah sure we are. We chatted it over last night. We're fine, Sir, really," Sam assured him, while Daniel merely nodded; his mouth still full of toast when he muttered something which no-one could recognize.

Jack sighed, looking at the others.

"This is what I survived for? Daniel, for a linguist you sure are difficult to understand sometimes."

Daniel spluttered, spraying Jack with toast crumbs.

"Jack!" Daniel managed to utter after swallowing the rest with difficulty.

"Daniel!" Jack countered, wiping the soggy crumbs from his pale green scrubs.

"Sorry!" Daniel apologised, full of remorse, stuffing yet more toast into his mouth.

Jack smiled tightly, casting his friend a disparaging glare.

"I'd already said I didn't want the damn toast. There was really no need to share it with me! Especially after you'd chewed on it."

The comment only made Daniel choke on the remaining mouthful, almost spraying Jack again.

"Oh fer cryin' out loud, Daniel. Finish already will ya!"

Several thumps on his back later, Daniel had regained his equilibrium and colour, and glared down at his friend, sitting so innocently in the bed.

"What?" Jack asked, mystified but with an impish grin across his face, which belied his feigned naivety.

"I was right, I said it before the mission and I'll say it again; even the folks on PZ4 792 correctly confirmed the fact..." Daniel paused for effect.

"And what would that be, oh wise one, Daniel?" Jack asked, though he was beginning to worry about what the young man was going to say.

Sam and Teal'c threw their archaeologist puzzled looks, too.

He looked at each of them, a sly smile turning the corners of his mouth up as he finished his reflections.

"That you, Jack O'Neill, really are a devil."

"Takes one to recognise another, Daniel."

Jack studied his friend, his head on one side, then waggled his eyebrows and smiled crookedly at him, he then grinned at Sam before she dissolved into laughter at the look on Daniel's stunned face. Teal'c however, merely raised an eyebrow at their antics.

"Jeez; Thanks Jack!" Daniel managed to splutter at last. He tried to sound disgruntled, but knew he'd failed when he could no longer hold back a snigger.

Jack surveyed his team from where he lay back against the pillows, content to watch them.

Yes, Jack pondered, he might be the devil - but if that's what it took. He'd fight like the very devil himself to protect his team. He'd act like the devil just to see his team happy. And he'd willingly trade places with the devil, too, should they ever find themselves captured - if it meant that his team could go free.

It would be worth his very own soul for the sake of these people - his kids. His family.

The End.

_Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks!_


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